


Work Stories

by Daretodream66



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: But Mostly Ridiculous amounts of FLUFF, Falling In Love, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Minor Angst, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Very Minor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:28:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 99,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27377977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daretodream66/pseuds/Daretodream66
Summary: This is a collections of shorts.  They aren't connected and they are all about Steve and Bucky.Let me explain this collection.  I have a friend that works a weird shift and to make them happy and keep them entertained, I started writing these shorts.  For every night that they work, I send a story.  I'm posting them because they told me I should and I always listen to my friend.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 148
Kudos: 120





	1. Wonderful Tonight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SilverRowan_Ivy630951](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverRowan_Ivy630951/gifts).



Wonderful Tonight

Bucky really has no idea how it happened. Okay, that’s not true, he knows exactly how this happened, but he’s not going to admit it to anyone. He’s not allowed to go on missions yet because he’s still unstable, according to the SHIELD psychologist. He’s pretty sure he’s not unstable anymore. He’s got Steve close at hand most days and that keeps him in the right headspace. 

Which of course is part of the problem today.

Steve left on a mission three days ago and Bucky’s been in their apartment alone. Alone isn’t bad, exactly, but it also gives Bucky time to think. Thinking leads to spiraling and no one to talk to. He could call his therapist, but she doesn’t understand when Bucky talks about things that he thinks happened. She’s supposed to be trained. Sometimes he thinks she’s not as highly trained as they told him, then again, it may just be that she’s never come across anyone like Bucky.

There’s no one like Bucky.

So, that’s how he finds himself in this situation. To distract his mind from running away with itself, Bucky pulls out his tablet and starts watching cat videos. That leads to videos about things that other people love, which leads to Bucky looking up something called fan fiction. He finds stories written by people about everything from book characters to movie characters to real people. The more he reads, the more fun he’s having.

That leads him down the rabbit hole.

He stumbles across something call A/B/O dynamics. And yes, some of the stories are really hot and some are just sweet, but the thing that sticks out the most is when the omega character wants a nest. The more that Bucky reads about them, filled with blankets and pillows, the nicer it sounds. That’s how Bucky finds himself digging all the extra blankets and pillows out of the hall closet.

He stands in the hallway looking into his room and it’s a nice room, but then he looks into Steve’s room. In the stories the omega always wants to be near their alpha or at least their scent. Taking a deep breath he heads into Steve’s room. Piling the blankets and pillows on the bed, he climbs over them and starts arranging them just the way he wants. Steve could be gone for days, so Bucky can fix all this before he returns. By the time he’s done, he’s surrounded by warmth and the smell of Steve’s shampoo and body wash.

It’s a really pleasant feeling.

Later, when the sun starts to set, he goes into the kitchen and fixes a couple of sandwiches, grabs a bottle of juice and his tablet and goes back to his nest. Crawling back in, he settles in for the night. He eats and then falls asleep while reading a sweet little story about an alpha loving his omega so much that he builds a nest for them. His brain stops spiraling and settles into the warm, fuzzy feeling of the story and how comfortable he is in his own nest.

Steve returns and just wants a shower and bed. As he quietly enters their apartment, he sees evidence that Bucky got caught in his head again. He’d requested a little longer before going back out on missions, but was denied. Making his way down the hall, he looks into Bucky’s room and sees that the bed is made and his friend is nowhere to be found. Having a moment of panic, he thinks about who he would call. Sam comes to mind, but then he turns and sees a lump on his bed that isn’t normally there.

Stepping into the darkened room, there’s just enough light coming from the bathroom door for him to see Bucky, cuddled up in every blanket and pillow they own in the middle of his bed. Steve smiles and steps closer. The tablet is still on and laying next to Bucky’s arm. Picking it up, Steve means only to put it aside, but the screen lights up and Steve starts reading. Before long, he’s sitting by the window having started at the beginning of the story and finishing.

Looking up at the bed, Steve’s face takes on a whole other kind of softness. As quiet as possible, he goes into the bathroom and showers. Coming out in pajama pants and no shirt, he starts to grab a pillow from the bed to go and sleep on the sofa. Reaching out, his arm is caught in the grip of a vibranium hand. “Where ya goin?”

Smiling down at his friend, Steve chuckles. “I was goin to the sofa so you could stay where you’re comfortable.”

“Uh uh…get in.” Bucky pulls gently at Steve’s arm.

Climbing in, Steve lays down facing Bucky. “What’s all this about?” He knows because he read the story, but wants to hear Bucky’s spin on his actions.

“Was feelin…cold. Built a nest.” Knowing that Bucky was cold makes Steve’s heart ache.

Scooting closer, he opens his arms to his friend. “Come’ere. You don’t gotta be cold.” Bucky wiggles over, letting Steve wrap him up in his arms. Bucky snuffles a little and then relaxes into the embrace.

He’s still and for a minute Steve thinks he’s gone back to sleep. Then a tired, grumble comes out. “You don’t mind, do ya? Me bein in here like this.”

Softly, so that even JARVIS might not be able to pick up the sound, Steve whispers. “Buck, since we were kids, this is all I ever wanted.”

Bucky doesn’t stiffen like Steve thinks he will. In a drowsy voice, close to sleep, he hears his friend, his love, whisper back. “So, you gonna be my alpha now?”

Steve chuckles because Bucky obviously knows that the blond read what was on the tablet. “Yeah, Bucky, I’ll be your alpha now, if you’ll be my omega.”


	2. Back in the Doghouse Again

Back in the Doghouse Again

Bucky steps through the portal and searches the battlefield for Steve. The big blond punk is facing off against...a purple guy? Seriously, Bucky comes back from the dead and he’s fighting those ugly ass dogs and a purple guy. Leaning his gun against his leg, Bucky pulls his hair up into a bun and sighs.

“Really? You’re taking time to do your hair?” Sam circles above him like some sarcastic buzzard and Bucky shoots the finger at him.

“We leave for five fucking years and Mr. Star Spangled over there wants to take on an army with a broken shield and Thor’s goddamn hammer!” Picking his gun back up Bucky hears Steve tell the Avengers to Assemble. “Drama queen.”

The battle ends and everyone looks around at Thanos’s army turning to dust. Striding over to Steve, Bucky swings him around. “What the fuck, Rogers!?”

Steve’s face melts into a smile. “Bucky.”

Bucky can’t stay mad at him when Steve says his name like that and pulls him into a hug. “Let’s agree that’s we’re both done with this life.” Bucky’s words are buried in Steve’s neck, but the blond hears them.

“Agreed.”

Not far from Tony’s house is a smaller cabin. It sits among the trees and appears unassuming enough. Steve walks across the yard towards the door when it flies open and Bucky comes out.

“We talked about this you pain in my ass!” Bucky glares at him and takes deep breaths to calm himself.

His bare feet carry him across the porch and Steve starts backing up, unsure what the fury in his husband’s eyes is about. “Buck, what...”

Bucky’s staring hard enough at the shield in Steve’s hand to melt the vibranium. “No! Just wait!”

“I let you go visit Tony and you come back with that! Steven Grant Roger-Barnes, you are in so much trouble.” At this point he’s standing in front of Steve, poking him repeatedly in the chest. “ _You_ are sleeping on the porch for the foreseeable future, Mister.”

Turning back around, Bucky stomps back towards the house. Steve catches him by the arm and swings him around. “Would you listen! I had Tony make this so I could give it to Sam.”

Bucky stops and narrows his eyes to gage Steve’s honesty. When he sees the sincerity in his husband’s eyes, he lets out a breath that was nearly choking him. “Oh…”

“Yeah ‘oh,’ so now you owe me an apology for assuming that I would go against my word to you about the shield.” There’s a twinkle in Steve’s eyes now and Bucky blushes.

“And just what kind of an apology were you hoping to get?” Now the bastard is smirking and Bucky knows that he’s in for it.

“Well, if you’re really sorry for accusing me of something I would never do to you, you’ll…” Bucky watches Steve try to come up with just the right punishment. With Steve it could be anything from a blow job in the shower to fixing dinner for the next week. “Call Sam and tell him you want to have his baby.”

Bucky squawks at that and makes to smack Steve in the chest. Steve jumps back and runs towards the lake cackling all the way. “That little shit knew.” It’s said quietly to himself and Bucky takes off after Steve. “You knew what I would think and you let me!”

Steve doesn’t stop laughing even when Bucky picks him up and throws him into the lake. Steve comes up sputtering. “Now you really owe me an apology.”

Bucky starts to pull his shirt off and unbuttons his jeans. “Get outta those clothes then, Rogers and I’ll show you an apology.”


	3. My Guy

My Guy

_I’ve got sunshine, on a cloudy day_

_When it’s cold outside, I’ve got the month of May_

Smitten. It’s the only way to describe these feelings. They go way back, back to before Steve understood what love really meant. _He’s_ different now, but Steve could care less about that considering that now, all these years later, Steve gets to wake up next to his best friend, ex-assassin, beautiful lover of all things soft. Yes, Bucky is different now, but Steve wouldn’t trade him for all the riches in the world. He’s all that is good and perfect in life and he’s Steve’s.

So, if on occasion he wants to sit, tip of his tongue poking out of his mouth, focused solely on Steve’s toes, what of it. Not like they have anything better to do. The foamy things between Steve’s toes are a little weird though.

Sam sits in the chair by the window and grins over at Steve and Steve just smiles back because this is the best that life has to offer and if Sam wants to make fun of him, it’s only because he asked Bucky to do his toes too…and Bucky said no. Steve grins even wider and for some reason that shuts Sam down and he rolls his eyes.

“Did you pick out the decoration that you want?” Bucky looks up and Steve’s just smiling at him. “Earth to Stevie.”

“Oh…uh…what?” Bucky rolls his eyes, but it’s so much cuter on him than on Sam. Steve gives a heartfelt sigh and leans in to kiss this beautiful man.

“Steven, did you pick out what decorations you want on your toes?” Bucky holds up the sticky things that go on after the nail is dry or maybe they go on while they dry, Steve doesn’t really remember. He just knows that Bucky wants to do this and Steve’s going to let him do anything he wants.

“Oh, well…I thought since you’re doing my toes in red and blue that a star would be good.” Bucky looks at him, so pleased and happy.

JARVIS interrupts when Bucky is doing the last toe, but doesn’t even startle. _‘Sir would like me to remind you that you are expected at movie night.’_

Bucky looks up through his lashes at Steve and the blond gives him a soft smile. “Do you want me to get the polish remover?”

Steve looks at him confused and then realizes that Bucky thinks he’ll be too embarrassed to go down with his toes painted. “Are you kidding? After you put in all this hard work. No sweetheart, I’m not taking this off until the next time you want to paint them.”

Bucky beams at him and leans in to kiss Steve’s cheek. “I love you, you know that, right?”

Steve moves in close again, laying three quick pecks to Bucky’s soft lips. “Sweetheart, you’re the reason I keep breathing.”

Sam throws his hands into the air and pushes out of the chair. “I’m getting out of here before little birds start singing to you two.” Boarding the elevator, he frowns dramatically.

Bucky puts a star on Steve’s left, big toe and smiles triumphantly. “What do you think?”

Steve looks down at his toes, wiggling them. The little foamy things keeping them separated almost fall loose. “I love it.” He looks up at Bucky, who looks at Steve in wonder. “But I love you more.”

“They aren’t dry yet, so the separators need to stay on. You wanna wait to go down for the movie?” Steve stands carefully and reaches out a hand to Bucky.

“We can go down now and when they’re dry, we’ll take them out.” Bucky reaches up and takes Steve’s hand. He seems hesitant. “Buck?” Putting a hand on his cheek, Steve frowns.

“I just don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” Pulling him in, Steve rests their foreheads together.

“Baby, I could never be uncomfortable with something that makes you so happy.”

Steve walks out of the elevator holding Bucky’s hand to his lips. His gait is off because of the foamy things, Bucky told him to stop calling them that, but Steve really likes the pouty face the brunet makes when he says that instead of separators. Tony is the first to notice the strange way he’s walking and looks down to see if Steve hurt his foot. When he sees the painted nails, an evil grin spreads across his face. “Getting in touch with your feminine side, Cap?”

Bucky clinches his jaw and Steve squeezes his hand to settle him. “Might do you some good to give it a try, Stark.”

“Who’s your manicurist? Did she squeal when she saw you come in? Did it feed your ego to have her falling all over you?” Steve knows that Bucky would like to go over the back of the sofa and snap the billionaire’s neck, but Steve is more worried about Bucky’s feelings getting hurt.

“For your information, my manicurist is Bucky and it’s more likely I squealed because he wanted to spend time with me and make my toes looks this good.” Bucky leans further into Steve and lays his head on the blond’s shoulder.

“Wait…you telling me that, Barnacle did this?” Tony gets up and comes over to get a good look at Steve’s toes. “He made your toes look like your shield.”

“Yes, he did.” Steve rubs his cheek against Bucky’s hair.

“Can he make mine looks like the Iron Man suit?” Tony looks at Bucky. “Do you have gold and red paint?”

Bucky huffs. “It’s not called paint, Stark. It’s called polish, but no, I don’t have the right colors.”

“Yeah, yeah, but you can do it right? I mean, if you had the right colors.” Bucky nods. Tony orders JARVIS to get the right colors, but before he can finish, everyone else is yelling for their own. An hour later, a package is delivered with all the colors requested by the team. The movie night turns into a toe painting party and Bucky looks like he’s having the time of his life.

Sam waddles over to the chair that Steve’s sitting in, just watching Bucky paint nails and chat with the team. Sitting in the opposite chair, Sam props his feet up to let his nails dry. “Was this some kind of therapy thing to get Barnes to interact with the rest of the team outside of missions?”

At first Steve doesn’t register what Sam asked, but when he does, he looks over confused. “What? No, this is because Bucky said he wanted to paint my nails and…”

Sam sighs. “Swear to god, Rogers, if I have to hear about how much you love him again, I may throw you out the window.”

“Then I better get the latch for you because by the time I’m done on expounding how much I love him, it will make your job easier.” Sam barks out a laugh and Bucky looks up, locking eyes with Steve and blushing at the look he’s getting in return. “He’s really beautiful.”

Sam looks over at Bucky. “Barnes, I don’t know what you did to him, but keep it up.”


	4. Waiting Just for You

Waiting Just for You

Bucky isn’t allowed to talk about it. It’s private and he respects the reasons and can live with them. Unfortunately for him, no one in his family seems to understand that there’s an unspoken agreement, so they keep pushing him to find love and happiness. Little do they know.

It all started almost a year ago when a man in a ball cap and sunglasses came into the bakery. He seemed quiet, withdrawn and Bucky, being who he is, wanted the man to feel at home. So, after the man got his coffee and went to sit in the back corner where he could see the whole shop, Bucky went into the kitchen and got a slice of pecan pie, still warm from the oven and took it out to the table.

Sitting it in front of the man, he looks up startled. “I didn’t order this.”

Bucky slides into the chair across from him and smiles. “I know, but you look like you could use it. Eat it and tell me what you think. It’s new on the menu and I want to be sure it’s up to par.”

The man just stares at him for a few more minutes, but ends up picking up the fork and taking a tentative bite. He hums around the fork as the flavors explode across his tongue. Chewing and swallowing the first bite, he looks up grinning. “Oh my god, this is the best pecan pie I’ve ever had. Most of the time people assume my favorite is apple, but it’s really this.” He uses the fork to point down at the plate.

“Why would people assume your favorite is apple? What am I missing?” The guy looks like all the tension in his shoulders and back just melt away. Taking the glasses and hat off, Bucky grins even wider when he sees who the man is. “Well, I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t just assume your favorite pie is apple. I’d ask first.”

The guy, Steve, chuckles. “Don’t get me wrong, I like apple pie, but pecans always been a weakness. And this, this is the best damn pecan pie I’ve ever had.”

Bucky beams at him and it becomes a thing. Steve comes in, gets a coffee, sits at the back table and Bucky brings him something to try. They talk for hours and it goes on this way for months. They know each other’s favorite color, favorite type of music, favorite food and books and movies and TV shows…and the list goes on. Bucky would say they’ve become really good friends.

Then something shifts.

Steve comes in as usual and gets his coffee. He looks worn down, like really worn down. Going to the back, Bucky fixes a bowl of soup and a sandwich, then slices a piece of pecan pie. Sitting across from him, he can see that Steve has dark circles under his eyes. “Eat, you look like you need it.”

Steve doesn’t even argue, he just starts eating. “I’m tempted to start with the pie, but I don’t want you to think I don’t appreciate everything else.”

Bucky leans forward on the table, grinning. “I halfway expect you to do that.” Steve stops for a minutes, smiling back. “Now, tell me what’s going on.”

Steve shakes his head and goes back to the food. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to talk about it.” Bucky reaches out, placing his hand on Steve’s arm, stroking back and forth with his thumb against the sensitive skin of Steve’s wrist. Steve stares down at Bucky’s hand and huffs a chuckle. “Bucky, how do you know if you’re in love?”

Bucky pulls his hand back, palms flat on the table. Steve doesn’t look up, he just keeps staring at where Bucky’s hand used to be. “Steve? You’ve been in love before. Agent Carter, right?”

Somehow, Steve’s face looks even sadder at that. “I thought so, you know, I just think that maybe I built it up to something it wasn’t. Then these new feelings started and they’ve just gotten bigger and I don’t know what to do with them.”

“Hey, Steve, look at me.” Steve’s eyes come up, locking onto Bucky’s. “Whoever you’ve fallen in love with, she’s one lucky lady to have you.” Bucky hates that it feels like a punch to the gut to say it, but friends support each other and Steve needs his friend.

Steve’s voice goes low. “And if it isn’t a woman?” Bucky swallows and doesn’t let himself react because if he’d known that Steve liked guys, this would have gotten a lot more awkward a lot sooner. Steve peeks up from under his lashes causing Bucky’s breath to catch. “And if it’s you?”

Bucky takes a deep breath and looks down at their hands. Inching his fingers over towards Steve’s, he lets them barely touch. “What are you telling me, Steve? I need you to be very clear.”

Steve leans in, letting his fingers wander over to Bucky’s. “I’m telling you that I came in here looking for a quiet place to just be and I found you. I didn’t realize I was falling in love with you until I already was. If you don’t…if you’re not…”

“I am.” Rushing the words out, Bucky looks up and suddenly Steve’s face doesn’t seem as tired. “And I do. I…I…I mean, I love you too. Didn’t know it was an option, so I just put it away in a little box in my heart. Are you sure though?”

“Yes, I’m very sure.” Then he swallows and takes a shaky breath. “But, no one knows about me, Buck. I’m not sure how to…”

“Steve, you don’t have to do anything you aren’t ready for. Just knowing that we can have this, with each other, is enough. When you’re ready and only when you’re ready. I’m not going anywhere.” And so, it continues like this. Steve comes into the bakery just like usual, but some nights he goes to Bucky’s apartment and stays the night. Bucky doesn’t push because right now, just having Steve like this, it’s enough.

“Stevieeeeee…” Steve sticks his head in the doorway of the bedroom. “You left me here alone and I got cold.” The pout on Bucky’s face is adorable and Steve just about melts every time he sees it, which is usually in the morning.

He steps back into the room, carrying coffee for his Grumpy Bucky. “I went to get you coffee, sweetheart.”

Bucky sits up, making grabby hands at the cup. Steve hands it over and crawls back in bed. “Naked coffee is the best coffee.”

Steve barks a laugh. “Come’ere you.” Steve raises his arm and Bucky snuggles in under it. Leaning over, Steve kisses his bird’s nest hair. “You do know that in the mornings you’re about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s a plot.” He looks up at Steve, who’s still smiling. “If I’m cute enough, you’ll stay here with me all the time.”

“Baby, I would if the world would settle down and evil masterminds would stop trying to take over.” Bucky leans in, kissing Steve’s chest.

“Bastards, ruining all my fun.”

And everything works fine for them until Bucky’s sister and Natasha Romanov get involved. Becca recently got engaged and now wants her brother to be as happy as she is and when he tells her that he’s very happy and satisfied with his life, she doesn’t take it at face value and starts sending men that she works with into the bakery.

Steve happens to be in the bakery when one of the men, one that doesn’t want to take no for an answer, happens to be following Bucky around. “Come on man, Becca says that you’re lonely and need a little push. She told me that even if you said no, you really mean yes and are just too embarrassed.”

Bucky can see that Steve is about to lose his shit and get up to deal with this. He has to get this guy off his back before Steve does something that will put his sexuality in the spotlight. Turning on the guy, Bucky puts his hand in the middle of the guy’s chest and pushes him towards the door. “Listen, I get that you think you’re doing me a favor, but trust me when I tell you, not only are you not my type, this pushy attitude you have is a real turn off. Now, leave or I’ll remove you from my business.”

By the time he gets to Steve’s table, the blond is breathing deeply and Bucky knows that means he’s angry. Looking up, Steve looks like he wants to murder someone. “Are you okay?”

Bucky sits, slipping a hand across the table to see if Steve is okay enough to grab the offering. “I’m fine. Becca tells them to push a little since I never say yes.” Steve looks like he’s fuming. “Steve, he’s the third one just this week. I’ll handle it.”

Steve takes both of his hands. “But you wouldn’t have to if I was…braver.”

“Watch yourself, Mister.” Steve looks up. “That’s my boyfriend you’re talking about. Not only is he brave, but he’s a really sweet man.”

Steve snorts. “I just think that you deserve better.” He looks down at the table.

“Hey?” Steve looks up. “Do you love me?”

“Yeah, more than I thought I would love anyone.” Bucky practically melts at that.

“Then it’s all okay because I love you too.”

Then, it’s Steve’s turn. Natasha sends him a text to meet her at a certain restaurant and when he shows up, it’s a blind date. The woman is so busy trying to impress Captain America, she doesn’t even notice Steve Rogers. At the end of the meal, she looks up through her lashes. “So, why don’t we go back to my place? Natasha told me how lonely you’ve been and I think I can help with that.”

Steve can’t get over how forward people are these days. “Thanks, but I’m good. It was nice meeting you.” He pays the bill and heads to Bucky’s apartment. Halfway there, he pulls out his phone and calls Natasha. When she picks up, he plows over her snarky advice on how sex works. “Do not, I repeat, DO NOT ever set me up again!”

“Rogers, you have to put yourself out there to find someone and you don’t, so I’m helping.”

“Your helping is misplaced and I say again, DO NOT do that again.” She huffs on the other end of the phone. “I don’t need any help in the dating department and you’re too invested in my life.”

“You have no life, Steve. That’s the problem.”

“You have no fucking idea what my life is like.” She chuckles at his words. “You overstepped your position and if you do it again, I’ll walk out and leave whatever woman you send to fend for herself.”

“You wouldn’t be that rude.” She chuckles. “Plus, I’m bound to hit the mark on your type eventually.”

“Trust me, Romanov, you aren’t even close.” He hangs up on her and knocks on Bucky’s door. The brunet opens the door smiling.

When he sees the looks on Steve’s face, he knows. “Oh no, she did it again, didn’t she?”

Steve nods and steps inside. Closing the door, he pulls Bucky to him. “I’m tired of this.”

Bucky kisses his neck then looks up. “In their defense, they are just trying to help you.”

“I don’t need their help, I have you.” Bucky grins and leans up to kiss this beautiful, dense man. “You’re about to remind me that they don’t know about you, so I have to get used to this.” Bucky nods and nuzzles along Steve’s neck making the super soldier’s knees weak. “So, you’re telling me that I have to keep going on dates with women while my boyfriend sits at home waiting for me.”

“I’m telling you to do whatever feels right to you. I’ll be here waiting no matter what that is.” Steve’s arms tighten around Bucky’s waist.

“I don’t deserve you.” Bucky gives that half grin that means he’s about to be snarky.

“Nope.” He pops the ‘p’ for emphasis. “You don’t, but then, who does?”

Scooping him up into his arms, Steve carries him to the bedroom and tosses him on the bed. “I’ll just have to try to deserve you.”

It all comes to a head when there’s another attack, but it happens close to the bakery. Steve fights his way through the robots that are firing on civilians. He sees them heading in the directions of the bakery and breaks through the line they’ve set up to keep them contained.

“Cap, you can’t just run into the middle of them. What are you doing?” Sam looks on as Steve doesn’t seem to be listening.

“Cap!” Tony and Natasha scream at the same time when one of the robots turns to fire a point blank shot.

Steve jumps over the thing and takes off its head from behind and keeps running in the direction of Bucky. “Cap, where are you going?”

“Bucky! I have to get to Bucky!” Steve doesn’t even slow down.

“Who the hell is Bucky?” Sam’s more confused that the others because he and Steve are close, but he’s never heard that name before.

“He’s the man I’m going to marry. I have to get to him.” The team freezes for a split second, then starts firing everything they have at the robot army.

Tony takes the high ground, firing one volley after another. “Does anyone know anything about this Bucky person?”

“Can’t say that I do, Stark.” Natasha hits two of them with her widow’s bite and they go down. “But I’m damn well going to find out.”

Steve runs into the bakery to find Bucky beating one of the robots with a chair. The thing is on the ground, seemingly dead, but Bucky keeps hitting it. “You don’t come into my bakery and start shit!” Steve goes over, grabbing the chair. Bucky looks up. “Steve?”

“I think you killed it, Buck.” Bucky’s arms wrap around Steve and he just breathes. “I saw them headed this way and had to get to you.”

“Knew you’d come. You always come when I need you.” The team stands outside the door, staring at the two men. Bucky sees them over Steve’s shoulder. “Uh, Steve…your…there are Avengers outside.”

Steve turns, grinning at his team. “Yeah, I may have mentioned that I was going to marry you.”

Bucky looks back at Steve’s face. “Uh…you…excuse…what?”

“Yeah, I realized that what I’ve been asking you to do is wrong when I thought I might lose you.” Steve drops to one knee because he’s nothing if not traditional and looks up at his heart. “So, James Buchannan Barnes, will you marry me?”


	5. Tunnels of Love

Tunnel of Love

This is how all meet-cutes start. One person literally bumping into the other, eyes meeting, hearts pounding. So, like most meet-cutes, this one is just as cliché as the rest, but this one takes place on a long, deserted road, where it’s not dark enough for glowing headlights, but just dark enough to add to the mystical, otherworldly feel of this particular road.

The trees are bent inward, toward the road and creating a tunnel affect. It just so happens that it’s that time of year where the leaves hang on with their last bit of effort and have turned vibrant colors. If Bucky didn’t know any better, he’d swear that this is a portal to a land where the faire folk dance amongst the flowers and Oberon reigns supreme.

The cameras on the new Stark Phones are about as good as anything hand held, so Bucky pulls off to the side of the road, just in case someone does come along. Checking both ways, he sees that the road really is deserted for as far as he can see. Stepping into the middle of the pavement, he holds his camera up, clicking several shots one after the other. Just as he’s about to step to the side for a different angle, he hears the sound of a coming vehicle.

Stepping off to the side to let the car pass, it instead slows down and pulls over in front of Bucky’s own. A man gets out that’s enough to make Bucky choke on his own spit. He’s tall, just slightly taller than Bucky, but his shoulders are crafted by the gods and his jaw looks like something Michelangelo carved. His eyes stand out like sky blue and the neatly trimmed beard frames lips the likes of which Bucky may never find again. Bucky may take pictures for a living, but nothing he’s ever seen looks as good as this man.

He waves from across the road. “Hey, are you alright? Did your car break down?”

It takes Bucky a second to translate what’s being said into something other than the cacophony of noise that’s taken over his brain at the sight before him. It’s not that the guy is perfect, it’s that the guy is PERFECT. Finally, after staring at the blond man for longer than is appropriate, Bucky answers. “Oh…shit…no, I’m good and so’s the car. I was taking pictures.”

The blond tilts his head, looking at Bucky like he’s some kind of mythical creature that isn’t speaking English. It would have to be a merman because Bucky’s sure he could definitely pull off a merman. “Pictures?”

Bucky looks down the road to where the tree tunnel starts, looks back over at the man like he’s grown two heads, and goes over to grab the blond’s arm. “Shit man, what are you some big, bad, CEO that doesn’t have time to look around at the beauty in the world?” The guy squawks, but lets himself be pulled. Once Bucky has the blond in the middle of the road, he turns him to face the tree tunnel. “Look at that!” He waves his arm and the man looks at where he’s indicating and freezes.

“Whoa…”

“Hell yes, WHOA! That isn’t something you just drive by and not take a picture of!” Bucky turns back and clicks a few more pictures.

“We should get closer, like get in it, and take more.” The blond suddenly seems as enthusiastic as Bucky. “I’m Steve by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, Steve, I’m Bucky.” The guy, Steve, is pulling the handle of his car door open when he stops and grins at Bucky. Bucky looks at him curiously. “What?”

Steve’s cheeks pink up and he looks down at his hand instead of at Bucky. “Nothing, it just suits you…your name, Bucky.”

Well now, Bucky’s actually just walked himself into a meet-cute situation and has to see if this is as good as those movies he’s seen where the guy gets the girl after bumping into her at a coffee shop. Of course, Steve’s got to be into the guy thing and Bucky’s got to get forward enough to make a play. Okay, not a play because that implies one time and the way Steve fills out his clothes and smiles all shy and such makes Bucky think he could get on board with something…special.

They pull their cars ‘inside’ the tunnel of trees and get out again. Steve looks up, mesmerized. “It’s amazing. It’s…”

“Magical.” Bucky finishes for him and Steve looks over grinning.

“Yeah.” They move down, away from the cars and Bucky looks up at the canopy of brightly colored leaves. The sun catches his hair just right through the trees and Steve clicks a picture. Bucky looks over, embarrassed and reddening across his cheeks. Steve clicks another picture.

“You’re supposed to be taking pictures of the trees, Steve.” The blond chuckles and gives Bucky the warmest look.

“I take pictures of what inspires me.” Steve quickly looks down and Bucky gets a shot with a beam of sunlight caressing the blond’s cheek.

“I guess we’re both inspired.” They run around in the trees for far longer than two grown men should, but neither of them care. By the time they make their way back to their cars, fingers are interlaced and phone numbers have been exchanged. Standing next to Bucky’s car, Steve presses the brunet into the car door, lightly running his finger across Bucky’s cheek.

“When will you be back in New York?” Bucky sighs and Steve kisses his forehead. “You introduced me to magic, Buck, I’ll wait until this assignments over.”

Bucky chuckles. “If I push myself, I can be back in the early part of next week, but I still have to hit Vermont and New Hampshire for interviews and pictures of two festivals.”

“Tell ya what, when you get back, I’ll make you dinner and introduce you to Dodger.” Bucky leans up, giving the man a quick kiss.

“Oh, that wasn’t much of a kiss.” Steve’s strong arms wrap around Bucky’s waist, pulling him into the broad chest and making Bucky think there’s definitely magic here. Steve must be Oberon and Bucky’s vocation will be to serve him all the days of his mortal life.


	6. Demons

Demons

Parties aren’t really Steve’s thing, but Nat had insisted, so here he is. Nat thinks that it’s hilarious that she picked a priest costume for him, but Steve wears it well and only pulls at the collar a few times. If she’s around, Nat smacks his hand when he does. And if Steve’s being really honest, the priest costume fits the life he’s been living recently. Getting started in his career, Steve hasn’t been dating much.

Okay! Fine Natasha!

He hasn’t dated at all in the last 18 months.

Everything is going fine, Steve’s got a beer and is feeling a little loose since it’s his third one in the last thirty minutes, give or take. He’s in his dark corner, watching the people. Watching one person in particular. Steve noticed him when he first arrived. Unfortunately, he’s only seen the guy from behind, but it’s a great…behind. Steve is in no way prepared when the guy turns around and he gets the full brunt of the guy’s front.

He’s dressed in what Steve thinks might be a vampire costume, eyes ringed in eyeliner that brings out the stormy, steel blue/grey color. His hair, waves and waves of deep chestnut, cascading around his shoulders and down his back. The guy’s jaw is chiseled and his lips hold a smirk challenging anyone brave enough to approach him.

Steve wouldn’t dare go anywhere near that kind of perfection. Pulling himself deeper into the shadows of his dark corner, Steve just watches. Everyone that is brave enough to get near the guy gets a delighted smile and Steve guesses he must know quite a few people here because he hugs many that pass his way.

Clint comes over after awhile and hands Steve another beer. “Hey man, if you really don’t want to stay, you don’t have to. I’ll smooth it over with Nat.”

Steve looks down at his hands, holding the fresh beer. “Naw, I’ll stay a little longer. If you don’t find me in this corner in an hour, I headed home.” Clint nods and heads back into the crowd. There’s a cheer from the kitchen and Steve can see Nat impressing a group with her drinking ability. He has no idea how someone that small can hold so much vodka.

Looking back up, he sees that the mystery man is gone. Giving a sigh, Steve looks around for a few seconds then sits the beer on a side table and heads to the front door. He’s got things at home to do, a commission due on Wednesday that he could probably knock out tonight. He wonders how long it will take him to walk the twelve blocks home as he goes down the front steps.

He isn’t expecting anyone else to be outside, much less speak to him. “Do you always hide in dark corners?”

Steve jumps, spinning around to see the beautiful mystery guy from inside. “Oh…uh…yeah, usually.”

The guy laughs and it’s an addictive sound. “So, you’re a priest and I’m a vampire. Shouldn’t you be trying to banish me back to hell or something?”

Steve snorts a laugh then covers his mouth out of embarrassment. The guy winks and Steve shakes his head before answering. “Not sure how well that would work out for me. Even if I was a priest, not sure I’d want to banish you anywhere.”

The guy walks like he’s a big cat stalking prey. Sliding into Steve’s space, he smells like…leather and sandalwood. Before he can stop himself, Steve inhales and feels lightheaded. Maybe four beers was a little past his limit. The guy’s arm wraps around Steve’s waist, pulling them flush against each other. “Lucky for me. I like the idea that I could sway a priest.”

Steve leans in, running his nose along the guy’s neck. “Buddy, you could sway the Pope.”

There’s a deep chuckle and it goes straight to Steve’s core. Whoever this guy is, Steve’s having a visceral reaction the likes of which he’s never had before. “What’s your name, Father?”

The guy’s hand slides down Steve’s back, resting just above the swell of his ass. “Steve. And yours?”

“Bucky, well it’s really James, but Bucky’s a nickname that I’d like you to use.” He leans in again, kissing along Steve’s neck, pausing a few inches below the ear. “Can I walk you home, Steve?”

The blond doesn’t have the capacity to form words, so he just nods. Bucky keeps his arm wrapped around Steve’s waist all the way back to Steve’s apartment. When they get upstairs, Bucky pauses at the door. As Steve pulls the keys from the lock, he smiles shyly at Bucky and invites him in. The smile he gets in return is…feral. There’s an alarm going off in Steve’s brain, but what’s happening in his stomach and lower overrides that feeling.

In the light of Steve’s living room, Bucky is even more magnificent. Looking around in curiosity, Bucky sees the paintings leaning around the room. Going over, he examines what’s displayed. He doesn’t reach out to touch any of them, but turns to Steve in question. Blushing, Steve goes over. “Yeah…so I’m…”

“You’re an artist and a very good one.” Steve beams at him, but the blush stays because Steve doesn’t take compliments easily.

“Thanks.” Turning the blond starts to head to the kitchen, but is grabbed by the wrist.

Bucky turns him back, cupping his cheek. “You’re gifted, Steve.”

“I do alright, but not everyone really likes my art.” Steve has a show in November, but only because a friend of a friend likes his stuff.

Bringing his other hand up, Bucky cups Steve’s other cheek, staring intently. “When someone can take their feelings and put it on a canvas like you can, they are gifted and should be treasured.” Leaning in, Bucky kisses him and it’s nothing like anything Steve’s ever experienced. There’s tenderness in the kiss and Steve isn’t expecting that. Raising his head, Bucky’s looking at him differently now. “Tell me about yourself. Tell me something you’d never tell a stranger.”

Without thought, Steve opens his mouth and tells Bucky something he’s never shared with anyone. “I’ve always wanted to go to Paris and paint the Eiffel Tower at night.”

Bucky grins and there’s something almost boyish about it. “Why at night?”

Steve half shrugs and looks down. “Because I’m a hopeless romantic and something about it at night seems…”

“Everlasting.” Steve’s eyes shoot up and Bucky’s giving him a look that doesn’t speak of feral, doesn’t seem like the same man that was going to rip Steve’s clothes off minutes ago.

“yeah, how did you know?” Bucky leans in, resting his forehead against Steve’s.

“I’ve been looking for you.” Steve doesn’t understand what that means and when he opens his eyes to ask, Bucky’s eyes aren’t the same. Before they were stormy, but now they’re clear blue, almost see through. “I’m sorry. I can’t explain what’s about to happen.” Bucky opens his mouth and sharp canines drop. Steve stares wide-eyed and confused until the brunet leans in, rubbing his cheek against Steve’s. “Close your eyes for me.”

It seems completely natural to obey. The sharp pain in Steve’s neck doesn’t last long and suddenly he feels…high. Once, in college with Nat and Clint, he tried weed, but this is something else entirely. Not only does he feel like he’s floating, but Steve’s body is also acting like he’s having the best sex of his life. Arching into the other man, Bucky anchors Steve against him. “Bucky…”

Bucky raises his head, smiling so tender and loving. “You’re going to sleep now, Steve and when you wake up, I’m going to explain everything. Can you sleep for me?”

Steve goes limp.

Steve wakes and knows he’s not at home. It’s dark out, but there’s a pleasant breeze coming through the open windows. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, a bed much nicer than anything he owns, he goes to the window and looks out at the night. Sucking in a sharp breath, he sees the Eiffel Tower in the distance. A noise behind him alerts him to the fact that he’s not alone. Turning, Bucky’s coming into the room carrying a cup. He’s not wearing a shirt and dressed only in pajama pants. “Bucky? What the hell happened?”

As the man gets closer, Steve feels an unnatural pull to be closer to him. Unable to fight the feeling, he lets the man, who may or may not have kidnapped him, wrap an arm around him and pull him back to the window. “Here, drink this.”

Steve takes the cup and does as he’s told. Whatever is in the cup tastes incredible and Steve finishes the liquid, handing the cup back to Bucky. The look he’s getting is so soft and tender that it makes Steve blush. “Now, how did we end up in Paris and who are you?”

Unbeknownst to Steve, a dibble of the liquid escaped down the corner of his mouth. Bucky leans in, licking it away and kissing Steve in the feral way Steve saw that night in his apartment. “We are in Paris because you want to paint the Tower at night. I have a private jet and more money than I know what to do with, so if you want it, all you have to do is ask me and I’ll make it happen.” Bucky looks out at the night then back at Steve. “As for who I am…well, that’s more of a…what I am.”

Steve’s still dizzy from the kiss and leans in again. Bucky takes him in his arms, kissing and licking into Steve’s mouth, backing the blond up to the bed. Bucky’s earlier words are unheard as Steve falls onto the bed, pulling the brunet with him. “Fuck me, please.” Steve is a writhing mess by the time Bucky slides into him. “Please…I…I need…harder.” Steve looks up into iridescent eyes and just hangs on tighter.

Bucky draws lazy patterns on Steve’s chest much later as the sun is peaking over the horizon. “Steve?”

“I know what you are, Buck, but I need you to say it because I think it’s what I am now too.” Steve feels Bucky stiffen, but keeps his arms wrapped around him to let him know it’s okay.

“I’m a vampire, Steve.” He stiffens further, waiting for the rejection. “And I made you one too, so I could have you with me. It was selfish, but you’re gift is so glorious that I can’t stand the idea that the world won’t see it for decades to come.” There’s a quiet sniffle. “If you want to leave me, I’ll let you go, but…”

“Sssshhhh sweetheart, I’m not leaving you.” Bucky looks up, disbelieving. “I knew there was something about you the night we met. I invited you into my home knowing that there was something dangerous. I’m going to need to adjust, but if you want me, you can have me.”

To clarify, Bucky kisses Steve’s chest. “This isn’t just a fling for me, Steve. You gotta understand. When I saw you at that party, I knew you were the one I could and would spend eternity with.”

Steve scrunches up his face. “Bucky, how old are you?”

“Uh…well…” Steve frowns and Bucky takes a deep breath. “I’m a 187.”

Steve barks out a laugh, pulling Bucky closer. “This gives a whole new meaning to Sugar Daddy.” Their laughter fills the early morning.


	7. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Steve’s not sure why he thought he could do this. Standing over the freezer looking down at turkeys, he’s just about ready to walk away and find out what restaurants are open on Thanksgiving. Picking up another one, he looks at the size and super soldier or not, he can’t eat that much turkey by himself. There’s a woman at the end watching him, she’s trying to be covert about it, but he knows when eyes are on him. Just as he’s about to give up, a voice from just over his right shoulder interrupts his thoughts.

“You know, if you don’t want to cook a whole turkey, you can buy just a breast or two. They roast up just the same.” Steve turns to see the person that’s trying to save him from his own self-doubt.

Before Steve can gather his thought about the fact that this man is really incredibly lovely to look at, the guy turns to leave. Finally finding his voice, Steve calls out. “Hey, thanks.” The guy waves over his shoulder and Steve can’t take his eyes off the guy’s ass because it would be the perfect handful.

Picking up two turkey breasts, Steve looks back down at his list and heads into the baking aisle. Getting the stuff for the pies is easy, but he needs to hit the produce section for veggies and fruit. Once there, he sorts through the apples, blackberries, and blueberries. Once done, he sees the same guy looks through something that Steve’s never seen before. It’s a large stalk with little balls of green. Steve just stands staring trying to figure out what he’s seeing. The guy looks up, grinning. “You look like you have questions.”

Steve snaps out of his confusion. “What are those?”

The guy, who just seems so full of life and happiness, barks a laugh. “These, my friend, are Brussel sprouts.”

Steve steps closer to look. “They look like tiny cabbages.”

The guy now looks deeply offended and pokes Steve in the chest with the stalk. “I’ll have you know, they are not tiny cabbages and anyone that says so will have to face my wrath.”

Steve can’t help the chuckle or the smirk that crosses his face. “Well sir, I may have to challenge you to a dual because those,” he points down at the balls of green on the stalk, “look like nothing except unimpressive cabbages.”

The man steps back, lifting one of his arms and holding the stalk out like a sword. “You have offended the honor of every Brussel sprout I’ve ever cooked. Arm yourself.”

Steve bends in half from laughing and the guy joins him. Wiping his eyes, Steve keeps chuckling. “I don’t think I’ve ever had this much fun in a grocery store.” Holding out his hand, Steve smiles. “I’m Steve.”

The guy straightens up and takes the offered hand. “I’m Bucky. You really should expand your pallet a little more. These are the best if cooked right.”

“I’m going to assume you know how to cook them then.” Steve picks up a stalk and stares at them like they’re little aliens.

“I should, I’m a chef by trade.” He takes the stalk that Steve’s holding, putting it back in the bin, picking up another to hand him. “You don’t want that other one, the sprouts should be green and not turning brown.” Steve puts it into his basket and looks up to find Bucky staring at him. “I tell you what, come to the restaurant tomorrow about 8 and I’ll cook for you. I can show you how to prepare them for what I assume is Thanksgiving dinner.”

Steve pauses for a minute, but throws caution to the wind and nods. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Come around back and knock on the alley door. You can watch me work.” Pulling his wallet out, he hands a card to Steve. “That’s got the address on it. See ya tomorrow, Steve.”

The restaurant looks closed when Steve arrives, but goes around back anyway and knocks on the door. Within a few seconds, the swings open and a smiling Bucky greets him. “Hey Steve, right on time.”

“Hey Buck, good to see you. I wasn’t sure I had the right place.” Bucky steps aside and lets Steve into the kitchen.

“Oh yeah, we’re closed on Sunday nights. We do a big brunch thing and close about four.” He ushers Steve to a table set up with a cloth and nice china. “Now, I’m going to show you what you can do with those unimpressive cabbages.”

By the time they eat, Bucky’s fixed a risotto with smoked salmon and roasted Brussel sprouts. The noise that Steve makes is obscene and Bucky cracks up laughing. “I’m sorry, but this is incredible.”

“Don’t apologize. The greatest compliment for a chef is people making orgasm noises when they eat their food.” Steve has to cover his mouth so he doesn’t spit the food across the table when he laughs again.

They sit after eating with a dish of chocolate mousse between them and a plate of strawberries when Bucky looks up. “What?” Steve’s grinning around the spoon and reaching for a berry.

“I’m just trying to figure you out?” Steve tilts his head in question and Bucky gives a quiet snort at how cute the guy is. “You’re sitting here in my kitchen, talking to me like…well like we could be friends.”

“You’d be my first friend in this new century and it’d be nice.” Bucky nods and gets up to clear away the other dishes. He points at the mousse for Steve to finish it. When Bucky’s back it to him, standing at the sink, Steve takes another bite and keeps talking. “I guess I’ve been lonely and I want to be friends with my team, but they just seem to see…him.”

Bucky comes back over, kneeling on the floor in front of Steve. “There’s so much more to you than that persona you wear.”

Steve puts the spoon in the bowl and looks down at this amazing man that makes him laugh and just enjoy being. Taking a chance and hoping he’s not wrong, he reaches down, cupping Bucky’s face. “You make me feel like it’s okay to just be me.”

Surging up, Bucky kisses him and Steve lets himself fall into the feeling. He’s never considered being with a man before, but with Bucky it seems natural. Bucky lifts his head away and rests his forehead against Steve’s temple. “You can always be you around me. I like that guy from the store that didn’t know how to buy a turkey.”

Steve chuckles. “I know that makes me a heathen in your well-trained eyes as a chef.”

Bucky grins so brightly that his nose crinkles up. Steve leans in and kisses it. “I’ll teach you everything I know.”

It’s Steve’s turn to smile. “Not sure I want to learn too much. You might teach me too much and have no use for me after.”

Bucky wonders if they’re still talking about cooking. Leaning in, he kisses Steve again. Pulling away, he looks down at the floor. “Not sure I’d ever have a reason to get rid of you, Steve.”

Steve stands, pulling Bucky up with him and wrapping arms around the slightly shorter man’s waist. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

The mission has been long, too long and messy. Almost two week’s worth of fighting against people with no regard for human lives. Steve shuts his emotions off because it’s the only way he can deal with it in the fight and immediately after. When the jet lands he walks away from the team and refuses to go to debrief. “JARVIS has everything they need. They sure as fuck don’t need me there to tell them anything.” He goes to the garage and gets on his bike. Still in full uniform with the shield on his back.

Before leaving, Bucky gave Steve his address and cell number, but in his present state, he doesn’t have the forethought to call or text. He just drives until he’s outside the right building. Going up to the top floor, Steve knocks softly and hopes he doesn’t wake the man up. The door opens and Bucky stands there in pj’s and a worn t-shirt. “Steve?”

Seeing the state of the man on his doorstep, Bucky leads him in and straight to the bathroom. Helping him strip, Bucky doesn’t really look at the man that he’s been dreaming about because that’s not what this is about. Starting the shower, Bucky lets it get hot and helps the super soldier into the steam. “I’ll get you something to wear. Take all the time you need.”

He gets the clothes and puts them on the vanity in the bathroom and goes to fix Steve something to eat. The knock on the door makes him jump. He’s not expecting Tony Stark and Natasha Romanov to be standing in the hallway outside his door. “We need to talk to Cap.”

Bucky frowns and understands now why Steve came to him. “I’m sorry, there isn’t a Cap here. There’s a man named Steve Rogers taking a shower and right now the last thing he needs is you two pushing him.”

Romanov tries to push her way through, but Bucky holds her back. “Do you have any idea what I could do to you?”

“I don’t really care because if you did, the man in my shower would never speak to you again.” He leans in, winking at her which obviously throws her off. “I don’t think you want to be the reason he decides your team isn’t what he needs.”

Tony steps forward and puts space between the two. “Listen whoever you are, he’s our teammate and we’re…concerned.”

Bucky knows from what he’s seen of Tony Stark in the public eye, that this is as close to worried as the man will show. “Mr. Stark, Steve needs to be here and I’m going to take care of him. You can come back tomorrow morning for breakfast if you want, but tonight you need to let him decompress.”

Grabbing Natasha’s arm, Tony pulls her away, down the hall. “We’ll be back bright and early. Or later than bright and early. I don’t really do early.”

Steve comes out of the shower and Bucky has a tray with hot sandwiches and is sitting in bed waiting. Pulling the blanket back for him, Bucky coaxed Steve into the bed with him. Sitting against the headboard, Steve leans into Bucky’s space and warmth. Eating everything on the tray, he’s then pulled down with his head resting on Bucky’s chest. “When you’re ready, talk to me. Whatever it is, I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”

Steve does talk about it, but keeps his voice low so as not to disturb this bubble of comfort Bucky’s created for him. Whatever this thing is with Bucky, it needs to be protected against the ugly things that Steve has to do. Steve sleeps through the night cuddled up against Bucky’s side. Bucky makes sure that he’s touching Steve at all times and finds that sleeping with someone that’s as big as Steve isn’t at all hard. Whatever cracks Steve thinks he has, Bucky fills them.

By the time Steve crawls out of bed in the morning, Bucky already has two frittatas in the oven, hash browns going on the stove, fresh bread and bagels on the counter, and is making waffles. “Bucky? What’s all this?”

As if on cue, there’s a knock at the door. Bucky puts Steve in front of the waffle iron and goes to answer it. Not only are Tony and Natasha standing there, but they’ve brought Clint Barton and Bruce Banner with them. “I smell food.” Clint pats Bucky’s shoulder as he passes and heads into the kitchen. Bucky motions them in and closes the door. The team freezes when they see Steve carefully taking the waffles from the iron and adding more batter. “Since when do you cook?”

Steve turns, startled by the voice. “Tony, what are you doing here?”

“Well, we were invited to breakfast after your boyfriend threw us out last night.” Steve looks over at Bucky, who blushes and shrugs.

“You didn’t need them messing with you last night, so I told them to come back this morning.” And everyone, including Bucky, watches how Steve’s face goes from closed off to open and serene.

Going over to him, Steve pulls him into an embrace. “Thank you.” It’s mumbled into Bucky’s neck. Turning he looks at the team. “Ask Bucky where the coffee cups are and fix yourselves some. Get me a cup too.”

As Steve works on the waffles, Bucky stands next to him bumping their hips together occasionally.

As breakfast is served, Clint and Bruce just hum at all the delicious flavors and Tony keeps sniffing things before shoving whatever it is into his mouth. “So, are we going to talk about the fact that you have a boyfriend that none of us knew about?” Natasha watches the emotions play across Steve’s face and Bucky carefully places a hand on Steve’s thigh to ground him.

“Bucky and I haven’t really talked about what this is, so it would be nice if you’d let us figure it out before terrorizing him and chasing him away.” Bucky squeezes Steve’s thigh and grins at how cautiously Steve’s being with this new thing growing between them.

“Honestly, I don’t think there’s much they could do that would chase me away, but I do think they need to let us figure it out before they stick noses and whatever other body parts into it.” Steve leans over, kissing his cheek. They both blush.

Clint doesn’t lift his head from his plate. “I for one think that Cap needs to keep this guy because he can cook and none of us can do this kind of thing unsupervised.”

“Well, considering it’s my profession, I can only hope I’m good at it.” They all look over at him, causing Steve to chuckle. “Any of you heard of Red Star?”

Natasha drops her fork and Tony freezes with a bite on the way to his mouth. “Wait! Are you talking about the award winning restaurant that happens to be my Pepper’s favorite place to eat?”

Bucky grins. “That’s the one. How is Pepper by the way?”

Six Months Later

“Buck? Where’s the leash?” Bucky comes out of the bedroom carrying the missing leash. “Oh, there it is.”

Dodger runs for Bucky knowing the leash means walkies. Kneeling down, he hooks the leash to the harness and hands it over to Steve. “I’m not sure how it ended up in the bedroom.” Standing, he leans in to kiss the blond.

“As long as we have it and Dodge can get his walk in.” Holding out his other hand, Steve laces their fingers together. Just outside the front door, Steve turns to Bucky. “Thank you.”

Reaching up, Bucky straightens Steve’s ball cap. “For what?”

“For letting me love you and helping me find this life of ours.” Bucky scrunches up his nose he smiles so wide.

“I love you.” Dodger starts dancing around their feet. “We better get this guy outside before he trades us in on new dads.”

“Hey,” Bucky turns back to Steve, “I love you too.”


	8. Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Let it Snow, Let it Snow

Steve stands on the porch of the, ridiculously opulent, A-frame cabin with a cup of coffee breathing in the mountain air. Tony set this up with the understanding that Steve would be alone and able to decide if he really wanted to come back to the Avengers after the whole Thanos crap. Tony’s injuries are healing and Nat is trying to find her footing in this world after dying on Vormir, but both are doing well. Steve, on the other hand, he’s not doing well because he’s just not sure he can keep leading the Avengers when so much in him changed over five years.

Tony patted his back, gave him the coordinates to the cabins and the pass codes and told Steve to go find himself. He’s been here for a little over a week and the solitude has done him good. Steve finishes his coffee and goes in to gear up for a hike. The snow is packed well and will make for a good outing. The trails are covered now, but Steve remembers them well enough to make his way into the woods.

He’s five miles out when he sees a tent in a clearing with a make shift campsite. With the snow two nights ago he worries that whoever this is may have gotten caught out here by surprise. There’s a second cabin a few yards from Steve’s and being who he is, feels that he should at least offer to help. Stepping to the edge of the camp, he calls out a ‘hello’ to warn them that someone is coming in.

The flap of the tent unzips and Steve stops breathing. The man comes out with shoulder length chestnut hair and a face to make angels weep. When the man looks over, the super soldier changes his mind and decides that this guy is, himself, and angel. Once, and only once before, did Steve have an immediate reaction to someone and she’s long dead. This guy is a miracle on legs and boy what legs they are. “Hey man, are you lost?”

Steve chuckles and shakes his head. The angel is worried about him. “No, I was going to ask you the same thing.”

The guy grins and it’s a revelation. “I’m not lost, but I have to admit that freak snow storm was a little bit of a surprise.”

Steve reaches out a hand. “I’m Steve and if you want to get out of the snow, I’m staying not far from here and there’s an extra cabin you can use.”

He looks shocked that someone would be kind and offer something as simple as common decency. “Uh…that’s real nice of you. If you don’t mind waiting until I pack everything, I’d like a warmer place to stay. Oh and I’m Bucky.”

Steve helps him pack and as they make their way back towards the cabins, he adds, “Oh, I’m not a serial killer or anything like that.”

The snort of laughter behind him makes Steve chuckle. “Well isn’t that what a serial killer would say.” Steve turns to comment, but Bucky waves him off. “I knew who you were when I saw you, so I trust you.”

It’s funny because the guy didn’t even act like he knew who Steve was and even though he did, Steve was just a nice guy offering someplace warm. As he turns to keep heading home, it makes him smile.

He gets Bucky settled in and tells him to shower to warm up and then come next door for something to eat. The second cabin isn’t stocked, so Bucky will have to eat with Steve, not that it’s a hardship for the blond because he could look at Bucky all day and never tire of it. It’s nearing lunch so Steve fixes soup and sandwiches and takes two steaks out for the evening meal. The knock on the glass door causes Steve to smile.

Bucky looks much better in long johns and sweats with a fleece hoodie. Steve slides the door open, grinning. Bucky rubs the back of his neck, embarrassed. “I…uh…found this stuff in the dresser, I hope that’s okay.”

Steve leads him into the kitchen with a hand on his lower back. “Of course. Anything over there you’re welcome to.”

“These are real nice cabins you have here, Steve.” Steve sits the plate in front of him and Bucky looks at it like he’s never seen anything better.

“Well they should be nice. Tony doesn’t do anything halfway.” Bucky’s eyes shoot up and he gives Steve a gleeful look.

“I’m staying in Iron Man’s cabin? Like Tony Stark…Iron Man.” Steve smirks and crosses his arms over his chest.

“Oh, I see how it is. You want to fan-girl all over Tony, but I’m just a guy in the woods.” Bucky freezes then sees the smirk.

“You’re a shit aren’t you Steve Rogers?” Steve nods and sits to eat too.

They spend the day just hanging out in the cabin and then about six when Steve gets up to cook, it starts to snow again. Over the course of the afternoon, he’s sketched Bucky while they talked about anything and everything. Steve knows now that Bucky is a high school science teacher on winter break. He knows that Bucky loves his job even though it doesn’t pay much. He knows that Bucky has a little sister, Becca who he wants to kill most of the time, but loves dearly. He knows that Bucky’s eyes crinkle when he smiles and he also knows that he can’t stop watching Bucky’s mouth when the man talks. He’s so damn beautiful and Steve wants to know what it’s like to live in his orbit, even if it’s just for a little while.

As Steve starts dinner, Bucky comes into the kitchen to watch, sitting at the bar. “Hey Steve?”

Steve turns and can tell his new friend wants to say something, but doesn’t really know how. “Yeah, Buck?”

The young man blushes. “I wanted to say thanks.” Steve quirks an eyebrow in question. “Five years ago, I…” The man’s hands start to shake and Steve goes to him, leaning over the bar and taking his hands to still them.

“You disappeared.” Reaching out, Steve brushes hair from Bucky’s face. “I’m sorry we couldn’t stop him the first time.”

Bucky looks up with tears in his eyes. “That’s why I’m up here. It’s the first chance I’ve had to just…be…ya know.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m here to try and figure out if I want to stay with the Avengers or just be Steve Rogers for awhile.” Cupping Bucky’s cheek, Steve smiles softly. “And everything we went through in those five years seems worth it now.” It’s Bucky’s turn to look up questioningly. “Knowing that we brought you back, kind worth all of it.”

Turning quickly, Steve knows he’s said too much to someone that he just met. “Anyway, thanks.” Bucky seems to understand that Steve feels that he embarrassed himself and lets the topic drop.

For another four days it snows and keeps snowing. Steve lets Bucky use the sat phone and call his family to let them know he’s okay. They spend days cooking, talking, and most of all, laughing. It’s on the morning of the fifth day that Bucky comes in from his cabin looking like he just rolled out of bed. “There’s coffee.”

“Thank god. I didn’t sleep worth shit last night.” Steve follows him into the kitchen.

“Everything okay?” Bucky nods, but Steve knows there’s more to it. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Let’s sit, cause I don’t want to stand any more than I need to today.” They head back into the living room and Bucky all but throws himself on the sofa. “Sometimes, not often, but sometimes I dream about that…about…when it happened.”

Steve goes to sit next to him, wanting to reach out, but not sure it would be welcome. Bucky clasps the coffee mug with both hands and leans into Steve. “I’m sorry. You know, I went to therapy during those five years to deal with my failure. It’s okay to talk about it.”

“I have a therapist at home, but most of the time I’m okay. Don’t get me wrong, it was weird to come back and not have anything that was mine. I stayed with my sister until I found a job. I mean I come back exactly where I disappeared and everything is different. My sister was married with a baby, my parents had moved to Florida and then back again because according to them, Florida is full of old people.”

Steve can’t help the laugh or the way his arm slides around Bucky’s shoulder to pull him closer. “I feel like a selfish person for wanting a life outside of the Avengers since all this happened. People expect us to keep being…whatever they think we are.”

Bucky sits up, looking confused. “Are you kidding? After what you did, you deserve to rest and have a life. Hell Steve, you saved half the universe and me with it. No one is going to begrudge you if you want to retire.” Sitting back he snuggles into Steve’s side and that’s where they stay until late morning.

By day seven, Steve is well and truly fucked. He watches Bucky in the kitchen fixing dinner and knows that he wants to have this. He wants to have this with Bucky specifically. There’s music playing and Bucky’s hips are swaying to the beat as he fixes pasta and some kind of sauce that Steve’s never heard of.

Not able to resist any longer, he heads into the kitchen to be closer to Bucky. “Grab me the lemons from the fridge, would ya?”

Steve does as he’s told, handing them over, he brushes his fingers along Bucky’s. The younger man looks up, meeting Steve’s blue eyes. “Buck…”

Dropping the lemon to the floor, Bucky throws himself into Steve’s arms. “I’ve been waitin for you to make a move. I hope I’m readin this right.” Steve nods. Bucky’s lips are soft and pliant under Steve’s and they only break apart when they can smell burning.

Turning to the stove, Bucky shuts it off then drags Steve up the stairs to the bedroom. “You sure?”

Bucky turns in his arms, smiling with that crinkled nose that Steve’s been drawing for days. “I’ve been completely sure for two days. Since you told me you were sure you wanted to retire.”

As clothes hit the floor and limbs become tangled in the bed, soft whimpers and throaty cries are the only sounds to be heard. Holding Bucky in his arms later, Steve kisses the top of the man’s head. “I’m in love with you, ya know.”

“Well that’s good because I’m in love with you too, Steve.”


	9. Bad Moon Rising

Bad Moon Rising

“Ah, ah, ah, you know you can’t move yet.” The cat looks up at Bucky and if it could smile from the deep scratching the ‘man’ is giving it, it would be. “You have at least another week before you can go back out there.” She just starts giving a grumbling purr and lays back in front of the fire.

Bucky gets up and heads into the kitchen. It’s nearly nine and he hasn’t eaten since this morning. Bucky went for a run this morning and found the cat injured. He was given his mission to take care of these woods and all of the animals that live here years ago. It seemed the perfect way to pay back whatever benevolent being gave him the gift that is now his life.

He hand fed the cat earlier and with her injuries, she’ll probably sleep most of the night. Going out to the smoke house he finds what he’s looking for. He’ll eat on it tonight and most of tomorrow and he’s sure the cat will love having turkey. Having a Canadian Lynx for a roommate won’t be that bad.

Late into the night, Bucky feels that urge again. He’s learned not to ignore it and gets out of bed. He checks on the cat just to be safe. She lifts her head lazily and then sinks back down into the blankets. Bucky smiles and shifts into his wolf. He hears a huff from the blankets and mentally tells the cat to shut up. Dogs are people too. She huffs again and Bucky runs into the night with a grin.

Whatever is pulling him into the night poses no danger to anything, but whatever it is, it isn’t well. That’s a concern and part of what Bucky does out here. When he arrives at the clearing, he doesn’t see anything. Maybe his senses are off tonight, but then he hears the sound of teeth chattering. Moving further into the clearing, he follows the sound to the far edge. Under a tree there appears to be a boy huddled in on himself to try and stay warm. All the wolf can think is who the hell lost their kid and didn’t notice enough to come find him.

The ’boy’ looks up and Bucky locks eyes not with a boy, but a small, fragile man. Standing he probably wouldn’t be more than 5’7 and less than 110 pounds. He’s beautiful, but sees the wolf and fear fills those wonderful blue eyes. Holding out his hands to stop the advance of the animal, he starts to cough. Bucky can hear the wheeze in his chest and knows he won’t last long out here.

In between wheezing coughs, the wolf can barely make out, “please…no…”

Bucky has to make this man understand he means to help. Getting down on his belly, he doggy crawls towards the man. Giving a whimper, he continues to edge closer. The man seems stunned and stops trying to get away. Finally, Bucky is right up on him and carefully creeps into the man’s lap. Laying his head against the man’s chest, he starts to rumble deep in his furry chest.

The man relaxes enough that the coughing stops and his breath starts to even out. “So, you don’t want to eat me.”

Bucky looks up with his most unimpressed wolf face and the man huffs a strained laugh. Getting up from the man’s lap, he carefully takes his hand in his jaw and pulls him to his feet. “Where are we going?”

Bucky just whimpers and pulls the man along. After a short time he knows the man will follow, so he lets go of his hand and bounds ahead, but never too far. “Where are we going?” Bucky just ‘woofs’ at him and the man keeps following.

When they reach the clearing where the cabin is, the man stops. “Wow…this is amazing?” He looks at Bucky and smiles and if that isn’t a goddamn revelation to Bucky’s poor heart, nothing ever will be.

Bucky’s lived alone for as long as he can remember, but something about this man makes him want to open his home and heart to more than just the forest and its inhabitants. Bucky woofs again and the man follows him up the stairs. “Who lives here? Do you have a human companion?” Bucky shakes his head and pushes the door open.

The man follows him in and stops when he sees the lynx on the blanket bed by the fire. She lifts her head and Bucky gives her a warning glare. If a cat could roll its eyes, she would. Instead she opens her mouth, makes a squeaky noise and lays back down. The man stands dumbfounded by all of this, but Bucky doesn’t give him time to run. Going behind him, Bucky pushes him along with his forehead against the man’s butt.

Bucky should definitely not take the time to appreciate that the man may be small, but his ass is like a ripe peach. Shaking that thought away, he leads him down the hall and to the bathroom door. The man stops, turning and kneels in front of Bucky. Reaching out carefully, he cups the wolf’s face. “Thank you.” Bucky lets his tongue loll out of his mouth and the man chuckles. “My name is Steve. Steve Rogers.”

Bucky woofs again and pushes Steve into the bathroom. “Alright, alright. I don’t like being half frozen either.” Steve leaves the bathroom door open and Bucky goes to find clothes for him to wear after. Shifting would make it easier, but instead he just pulls the closet open and rummages until he finds the pj’s and hoodie. They’ll swallow Steve, but that’s okay. He’ll be warm. Going to the dresser, he paws a drawer open and bats other socks aside until he finds the really fluffy, soft ones. He can’t open his mouth to carry the socks too, so he starts batting them down the hall like a ball.

Sitting just outside the open door, Bucky waits. It takes time, but time is all Bucky has and he doesn’t mind waiting. Steve pulls the curtain aside and doesn’t bother covering himself. Feeling a bit like a creep, Bucky turns his back to Steve, who laughs. “You’re the most well behaved animal I’ve ever been around.” Bucky blinks a few times to get the vision that is small, slender, perfect Steve Rogers out of his head.

Dropping the clothes, he waits until he hears the human put the clothes on. “These are a little large, but thanks for this.” He hears Steve huff. “I’m having a conversation with a wolf. Maybe I died back there and this is my afterlife.”

Bucky turns suddenly, going to Steve, lowering his head and butting the blond’s stomach. He rumbles again. Bucky has no idea what this feeling is, this connection, but there’s a reason that his senses could feel Steve being in danger. He’s never sensed a human before, but he definitely felt Steve. There’s something special about this human. Something that led him into Bucky’s woods. Knowing that, he knows that it’s his job to take care of Steve, so he leads the man into the kitchen. Pulling the fridge open, he raises a paw to show Steve the turkey.

“I really hope your human doesn’t get mad at me or you.” Bucky watches Steve cut pieces of turkey off and when shown where the bread it, Steve carefully cuts enough to make a sandwich. “You have quite the life here.” Then Bucky hears him mumble. “wish it was my life.”

Bucky’s ears perk up at that. After the smaller man eats, Bucky ushers him into the bedroom, pawing until Steve pulls the blankets back. The cabin is warm and the blankets are soft. Steve settles down quick and falls into a deep sleep. Bucky sits by the bed and watches the man’s face in sleep. His nose is just a little off, like he got punched once and it didn’t heal right. His skin is pale in the firelight and his lashes are so long, soft, plush lips round out this perfect face. Steve Rogers, whoever he is and however he ended up in Bucky’s forest, is what Bucky thinks a wood nymph would look like. He’s perfection.

And Bucky wants to keep him, but he’s not sure he’s allowed.

Steve wakes the next morning to the smell of coffee and bacon. Wallowing around in the quilts for a little longer, he figures he better get up and thank whoever lives here for the hospitality his pet wolf showed to Steve the night before. Making his way down the hall, he hears a deep voice. “You can eat after you go out and do your business.” There’s a quiet curse. “Cats are a pain in the ass, man.”

Steve chuckles and the man that’s standing in the living room spins around and…Steve loses his breath. How can this be the man that lives in this cabin and has a pet wolf? His hair is long, but it’s just waves and waves of chestnut brown, his shoulders are so broad that Steve is sure he’d fit on one of them. They taper down to thick thighs that could kill a man, but Steve thinks about it being one hell of a way to die. But…it’s the man’s face that’s Steve’s undoing.

His eyes are like something out of Steve’s dreams and if he had a canvas and paint he would worship the guy through art. “H-hi.”

The guy smiles. “Well, you look much better. Not nearly as cold.” That confuses Steve because this guy wasn’t here and didn’t see him cold. His face must show his question. “Oh, yeah…so…you know the wolf?” Steve nods, wondering if this guy is going to tell him the wolf talks to him and then it will all make sense because this perfect guy will prove his fault by being crazy. “Well…I’m the wolf.”

Great, he’s even crazier than Steve thought. “Uh…yeah…I should probably get out of your hair.” He turns to leave, but is suddenly accosted by the wolf and where the guy was standing, there’s nothing. The lynx on the floor just blinks at him. “Holy Shit!” The wolf yips at him bounces up and down on his paws. “You’re a wolf!”

Then there isn’t a wolf anymore, but the perfect man is back. “Yeah…” He looks embarrassed and Steve can’t figure out why. “Listen, last night, I just thought you might be too upset or cold or out of it to understand, so I stayed a wolf.”

Steve stares down at the floor. “How did this happen to you?”

The guy pulls him into the kitchen. “It’s been so long, I don’t really remember.”

Steve looks disbelieving, but if they guy doesn’t want to talk about it, Steve’s not going to make him. “What’s your name?”

He turns, holding a cup of coffee. “Oh…uh…Bucky.”

Steve’s face melts into a smile because the guys so damn hot and he’s got a name that’s adorable. “It’s nice to meet you Bucky. Tell me about the lynx. Is that a friend?”

Bucky guides Steve to the table and sits him down with a plate. “She got hurt a few days ago and I’m nursing her until she can go back out. As long as she’s here, she’s not going to hurt anyone.” Bucky sits across from Steve with his own plate. “Steve?” The blond looks up. “What were you doing out in the woods last night?”

Steve looks down at his plate and Bucky feels like he just asked a question that shouldn’t be that tough to answer, but for some reason it is. “I’ll tell you why I was out there if you tell me how you came to be like you are.” Bucky sighs, but nods. If he really wants to keep Steve, he’s going to have to be honest with him. Steve nods in return and starts talking. “I have a bad habit of not backing down from a fight if I know I’m right.”

Bucky grins and boops Steve on the nose. “Is that how your nose ended up bent?”

“Well yeah, but that guy deserved what he got.” Bucky snorts and takes a bite of food. “Anyway, there’s a guy that…well, truth is, he’s an ass, but he told me that I couldn’t make it up the mountain because I was too weak.”

Bucky looks up, shocked. “But Steve, you did make it up the mountain, farther than anyone ever has.”

“Yeah, but I almost died.” Looking up from his coffee mug, Steve looks at his new friend quizzically. “Speaking of, how did you find me out there?”

Bucky’s leg starts to bounce in guarded fear. “I felt you out there.” Steve shakes his head, not understanding what Bucky means. “See Steve, it’s not just that I can shapeshift, when an animal needs me, I know. It’s never worked with a human before.”

A smile breaks across Steve’s face. “So you’re saying…”

“I’m saying that I shouldn’t have been able to sense you in trouble, but I did.” Bucky blushes and ducks his head. “When I told you that it’s been so long that I don’t remember how I got this way, I know you know I wasn’t being honest. It’s just that, if I tell you, you’ll think I’m crazy.”

Steve barks a laugh and Bucky grins at the sound filling his kitchen. “You can change into a wolf at will, Buck, this situation is already crazy.”

Bucky gives a nod. “I died up here a long time ago. Someone or something came to me and asked me if I wanted to live and to be given a special job. I didn’t want to die, so I took the offer. I came to here in this cabin and was able to shift and sense when the forest needs me.” He gives a little half shrug like it’s no big deal.

Steve’s mouth opens and closes a few times before he finally asks, “How long have you been here, Bucky?”

“What year is it?” That alone tells Steve it’s been a very long time. He tells Bucky that it’s 2020. “Well, I came up here in 1817, so 203 years. I was 23 before I died.”

Steve swallows thickly. “Bucky, your 226 years old, but you still look like you’re in your 20’s.” The man just shrugs again. “Tell me about your life. I want to know everything you’re willing to tell me.”

They spend the day talking about everything they can think of. Steve sits next to the lynx, stroking her ear as she makes a sound that’s suspiciously like a purr. He listens to Bucky tell about his life on the mountain and Bucky, in turn, listens to Steve talk about his life as a wannabe artist. Later, in the evening, Bucky finds him some paper and pencils and Steve draws the big cat in the blanket bed by the fire.

Two days later, when Steve isn’t wheezing anymore, Bucky knows he should offer to take him down to the trails so he can find his way back to his life, but the shapeshifter doesn’t want to. It’s finally Steve that broaches the subject. They’ve finished dinner and the lynx is up and moving around the cabin. Steve watches her move and draws her in different positions. He starts talking absentmindedly making Bucky freeze in his cleaning up of dinner. “Buck, what would you think if I didn’t go back? If I stayed here?”

Bucky drops what he’s doing and runs into the living room. “Do ya mean it, Stevie?” He’s kneeling in front of the smaller man, eyes shining.

“Yeah, I mean it. I don’t have anything to go back to and I want to stay here with you.” Steve looks into those stormy blue/grey eyes. “Would you let me stay? I wouldn’t ask you for anything beyond what you’ve already offered. I just…I feel…this is the most home I’ve felt in years.”

Bucky answers by leaning up, hesitating so Steve can pull back if this isn’t what he meant. Steve smiles and cups Bucky’s cheek, pulling him the rest of the way. Bucky wraps his arms around Steve and pulls him from the sofa and into his lap, never letting their lips part. When he finally has to let Steve breathe, he rests his forehead on Steve’s thin shoulder. “I knew when I saw you that I wanted to keep you for mine.”

“It’s a good thing that I felt the same way. Never want to let you go, Bucky.” Steve lets Bucky hold him close and wonders why he never let anyone get close. He realizes that he’d always been waiting for Bucky.

Alpine runs through the field of flowers and flops down at Steve’s feet. Bucky’s furry head comes up from the field of purple flowers, looking for the big cat. The lynx never left the cabin and Steve finally named her and decided they had a pet. Alpine acts more like a house cat than a once wild animal. The wolf hops up into the air, chasing after a butterfly causing Steve to laugh delightedly. “You are an overgrown puppy.” The wolf looks over and then flops down into the flowers again. Alpine looks over and Steve would swear that she rolls her eyes.

When Bucky comes up, he’s got purple flowers sticking in the mane of thick fur around his neck and shoulders. Bounding over, the wolf jumps up, shaking the flowers onto Steve. The blond sneezes and Bucky stops. “Oh stop worrying. I have allergies to almost everything and a few flowers aren’t going to make it worse.”

The wolf puts paws on either side of Steve’s hips on the rock and shifts into his human form. Leaning in, he kisses Steve lightly. “I’m always going to worry about you. I love you and that’s part of what love is.”

Steve gives him a quick peck. “I love you too and because I do, I’ll let you worry.”

Those people that knew Steve Rogers mourned the loss of his life up on that mountain. A search went on for days, but no sign of the blond was ever found. Then those that told stories of the young artist moved on with their lives, had kids of their own and Steve Rogers passed from the memories of all that once knew him.

No one ever found the cabin in the mountains because the benevolent being that created Bucky wouldn’t allow it. As the years came and went, Steve never aged, just like his wolf. They lived as long as the being wished it and she wished it for eternity.


	10. What's New Pussycat

What’s New Pussy Cat

So, here’s the thing. Bucky doesn’t mean to end up with six kittens, but things just turned out this way. Coming home from the corner bodega he hears the sound. It’s unmistakable and veering into the alley, he finds the box behind the dumpster. Inside are six little balls of fluff and Bucky can’t just leave them there, so home they go. Being Friday night, there’s really nothing that Bucky can do with them until Monday, so he runs back to the corner bodega and gets all the shit that six little screaming balls of fur could need…and some things they don’t.

By Saturday afternoon he’s decided that he might have to keep the little hellions because they make him laugh. After researching on the internet, Bucky checks to see what he’s got and finds that he’s got 1 girl and 5 boys. Each of them with a very distinct personality. The little girl is sneaky and try as he might, Bucky can’t ever catch her doing the things he knows she’s doing. She’s has an affinity for his socks and keeps taking them from his drawer or the dirty clothes hamper. For the life of him though, he doesn’t know when she’s doing it. But just when he’s about ready to scold her, she curls her little white body against his chest and purrs like a motor boat.

There’s a boy kitten that is white with a light brown spot over one eye and the same color on his tail. He, Bucky discovers quickly, is a tiny klutz. During the night, Bucky hears him screaming from the living room and finds him upside down on the curtain, stuck. Saturday morning, as he’s chasing his sister on the back of the sofa, the little idiot runs right off the end of the sofa landing on the floor and definitely not on his paws.

There are two black kittens and one seems to be the goofball of the group and bounces around like that old Winnie-the-Pooh movie with Tigger. He’s constantly ‘attacking’ his brother and the other black kitten is very chill about it, but once he gets enough, he’s nothing but teeth and claws.

There’s a grey and white one that follows Bucky all over the place and doesn’t seem happy until he’s getting attention. And god forbid Bucky has to go to the bathroom and shuts the door. The little drama king sits outside the door and howls until Bucky comes out, picks him up and promises to never leave him alone again.

Then there’s the little orange one that is quickly becoming Bucky’s favorite. He’s smaller than all the rest, but damn but he doesn’t know it. He’s a little spitfire and if the others really seem to be annoying Bucky, he’ll round them all up and smack them around. Bucky’s pretty sure the others are just humoring him because he’s at least a third smaller than all of the others. Maybe being the runt, the others had to take care of him and just let him have his delusions of grandeur.

He’s got the little orange one in his hoodie pocket and fixing breakfast for his little zoo on Sunday morning. The little orange head pokes out and Bucky grins down at him. “Hey little guy. You ready for food?”

All he gets in return is a tiny mew, but it’s enough to let Bucky know that he’s interested. Taking a piece of the kibble, he reaches down, hand feeding his little orange baby. The kitten takes the food and slips back into the pocket to munch on his treat. There’s a sound from the living room like something just hit the floor, but luckily, it doesn’t sound like it broke. Bucky walks in to find the idiot laying on the floor with the Xbox control pad on his head.

Once the kittens are happily eating, Bucky sits with his own food and turns the TV on. The Avengers are out there saving someone from something and the idea comes to him like a flash. Looking back at the kitchen, he grins. “Well, now I have to keep you.”

That’s how the kittens become, Natasha or Tash for short, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, Tony and little, tiny Stevie. Monday morning he makes a vet appointment and takes his Avengers to be checked out. Surprisingly, they’re all healthy, even little Stevie. They aren’t old enough for shots yet and Bucky can’t get them spayed and neutered until they’re older, so he takes them home. The vet tech tells him to please bring them back anytime. Before they leave, she takes a picture of them so they can put it up on the wall by the check-in. She tells Bucky she’s going to label it The Avengers.

Bucky’s had his little family for nearly seven months. Everyone has their shots and they’ve been fixed. That was not a fun time because Tony became even more needed and little Stevie was so pitiful that he slept on Bucky’s pillow, right next to his face, for weeks.

Today, he’s going to take them on a whole new adventure by teaching them all how to walk on leashes. His only fear is that Hawkeye will accidently hang himself with his own leash. The little asshole spends more time at the vet than the others put together. Every time Bucky turns around, the brown and white moron is hurting himself. The vet goes so far as to run tests to see if there’s a neurological disorder, but it just seems to be how Hawkeye is.

So, for the last week, Bucky has put the harnesses on the kittens before going to work. He read that he needed to get them used to wearing them. On a cool Saturday morning, he puts the leashes on and leads them out the door. Mrs. Gentry is coming out of her apartment as Bucky is making his way to the stairs. “You are a brave young man to take all that outside.”

Bucky chuckles and looks down at the group. Little Stevie is out front, leading the way down the stairs. Tash is right there with him carrying herself like a princess. Tony keeps looking back to see that Bucky is there and meowing when his man doesn’t acknowledge how good he’s doing. Thor and Hulk are taking up the rear with Thor occasionally jumping down a step and turning to check that Hulk is there. Hawkeye…well…Bucky keeps having to pull him away from the banister in fear that he’ll fall and actually hang himself.

Stepping out onto the street, Bucky gets looks from just about everyone he passes, but keeps his attention on his brood. Stevie just keeps leading the way like he knows exactly where he’s going. They round a corner and Bucky makes the decision to stop and get coffee from the little place that’s animal friendly and then he’ll head back. For their first outing, that should be enough. The coffee shop isn’t crowded and the girl behind the counter oohhh’s and awww’s over the kittens.

When Bucky turns to check the cats and to get his coffee, he sees Stevie getting ready to take on a German Shepard. “Jesus, could you not go all Steve Rogers on me, you little asshole!” The man with the dog doesn’t seem to realize what’s about to happen until Stevie reaches up, smacking the dog. “Fuckin hell, Stevie, are you trying to get yourself killed!”

That’s when a hand swoops down, picking the hissing ball of fury up and cradling Stevie to his chest. And what a chest it is. “He’s got a problem with self-preservation.”

Bucky chuckles. “Don’t I know it. From everything I’ve read, he’s exactly like his namesake.”

The guy looks up and Bucky sees who he’s talking to. Steve Rogers is standing in front of Bucky, scratching the top of Stevie’s head. “I’m going to guess by the look on your face that you know who I am.” Bucky nods and Steve Rogers, Captain America himself, reaches out a hand. “I’m Steve Rogers. Did you really name your cat after me?”

Bucky nods dumbly. “Even more embarrassing than that,” He looks down at the rest of his pride of mini-lions, “The rest of them are named after your team.” Bucky huffs a laugh. “In my defense, there’s a reason why.”

“How about we take our coffee over there and you tell me?” They sit at a corner table and Steve Rogers keeps little Stevie in his lap while the others climb all over his legs. Tony takes up the seat on Bucky’s lap, glaring at the blond across the table holding his little brother.

Three Months Later

Steve lets himself into Bucky’s place since his boyfriend won’t be home for another couple of hours. As soon as he’s in the door, he’s accosted by the team. They’re all getting close to being fully grown and each of them are still exactly like their namesakes. Steve has taken to calling Hulk Bruce since he seems more like the good doctor and not the big, green guy. Going into the kitchen, he gives each of them a treat and then starts dinner.

When Bucky gets home, the apartment smells like heaven and Steve is sitting in the floor of the living room playing with their brood. “Hi, I didn’t expect you back today.”

Steve gets up, scooping Tony up and going to Bucky. “We finished up early and I couldn’t wait to see you.” Leaning in, he wraps his other arm around Bucky, pulling him in for a kiss. “I missed you.”

Bucky hums into the kiss. “I missed you too.” He kisses the super soldier again. “Something smells good. Are you buttering me up for something?”

Steve looks up like he’s thinking and then presses a kiss to Bucky’s hair. “Well, I was going to ask you something, but let’s eat first.”

He starts to walk off, but Bucky stops him with a hand on his arm. “Steve?”

Sitting Tony on the back of the sofa, Steve wraps both arms around Bucky. “I want to tell you something and I’m not sure how you’ll take it.”

“Baby, you know you can tell me anything.” Leaning in, Steve presses a gentle kiss to Bucky’s lips.

Steve sighs like he’s still afraid and Bucky starts to think that whatever they have going on is about to come to an end. “I love you.”

The fear inside of Bucky melts away. Grinning up at Steve, he reaches up to caress his cheek. “I love you too, but that doesn’t explain…”

Before Bucky can finish his thought, Steve breaks in. “I want you to move in with me.” The smile that breaks across Bucky’s face is luminescent.

Moving Bucky into the Tower takes no time at all because Steve hires people to pack everything and get it to his apartment. The last thing they move on their own are the cats. Steve told his team about the little, furry team and as soon as they get settled in, the real Avengers come up to meet their namesakes. Tony steals his furry counterpart and disappears. The rest of them just lay around on the furniture and floor, holding and playing with the rest.

“Steve, are we ever going to see Tony again?” Bucky watches as Thor and Bruce wave toys in front of Hawkeye and Tash.

“There’s a good chance that he’s been adopted, but we’ll have visitation rights.” Bucky chuckles and goes to fix some coffee.

He had no idea that when he saved a box of defenseless kittens, it would change his whole life, but damned if he isn’t happy with where he’s ended up. Looking over, he sees Steve watching him, holding his little namesake in his arms. Bucky blushes then smiles. “I love you, Stevie.”

Pushing off the doorframe, Steve comes over to kiss him. “I hope you’re talking to me and not this little guy.”


	11. That's Entertainment

That’s Entertainment

Going to the movies when he was a kid was such a treat that Steve hasn’t gone since coming out of the ice. Now, there seems to be more down time and instead of staying in his apartment or going to the common area to be harassed about staying in his apartment, Steve decides that he’ll go see a movie. There’s a new one out that he thinks sounds interesting and after looking it up and finding out the ingenious way they made it, Steve’s really excited.

Getting popcorn and a soda, Steve finds a seat in the back of the theater to the left edge. There’s only one seat between him and the next person and Steve hopes that no one sits next to him because inevitably they will recognize him and he won’t get to enjoy the movie. The lights go down and that same excitement he felt as a kid comes bubbling up.

Just as the previews are starting, someone takes the seat next to him and Steve really hopes they don’t look over. The guy doesn’t seem to get a good look at Steve, so the super soldier relaxes, only to have the guy lean over, without looking, to whisper, “You excited to see this?”

Steve goes with it because he doesn’t know this guy, won’t ever see him again and the guy can’t really see him because of how dark it is. “I don’t usually go for romance movies, but I read about how the director did this one and wanted to see for myself.”

One more preview comes up and it’s a war film. Steve doesn’t want to see anything like that, so when the guy whispers again, he’s happy for the distraction. “Yeah, I heard about that too. It’s why I’m here.”

Steve figures ‘what the hell’ and leans the tub of popcorn over so the guy can have some. He hears a surprised huff, but the guy reaches over and takes some. “Thanks man. I’m Bucky, by the way.”

Steve doesn’t turn from the next preview because it’s an animated film and he loves those, but he does lean in. “I’m Steve. Feel free to help me eat all this.” He gets an elbow nudge like a thank you.

Halfway through the movie, Steve is holding back tears. There’s something about this story that just pulls at him and the guy on the screen is magnificent: both in acting skill and beauty. He’s just everything that reaches deep into Steve’s core and pulls in a way that the blond isn’t accustomed to. He knows it’s okay now to like men, hell it was okay back in his day, people were just stupid, but this guy is like someone took everything that Steve finds attractive and put it into one man.

He tries to sniffle discretely, but the guy sitting next to him, that Steve still hasn’t looked directly at for fear that this kind stranger will figure out who he is, reaches over, taking Steve’s hand. It’s nothing romantic, just a show of support. Steve latches hold and revels in the comfort of a warm hand in his own. Maybe that therapist isn’t far off with her idea that he’s touch starved. When the movie is getting close to being over, the man next to him leans in. “Listen, I don’t want to leave you like this, but if I don’t get out now, I won’t be able to when the lights come back up.”

Steve finds that strange and finally looks over at the man. He nearly drops the popcorn onto the floor because the man sitting next to him is the guy from the screen. His hair is longer, but he’s still got the scruff on his face, with eyes made to fall into. “Y-you…you’re…”

Bucky grins and tries to cover his own surprise at whose hand he’s been holding for most of the movie. “And you’re…”

“I think maybe I should leave with you.” Bucky just nods and they quietly make their way out of the theater. As they make it to the street, Steve turns on the man. “Did you know who you were sitting next to?”

Bucky shakes his head, babbling. “Jesus, no! Do you think I would have sat next to Captain America and held his hand if I knew? I’m surprised you haven’t punched me yet!”

Steve bursts with laughter. “Believe me, if I minded I would have let you know.”

A slow grin spreads across Bucky’s face. “Oh yeah?” Stepping over, Bucky takes Steve’s hand again and pulls him away from the theater and out into the night. “How about I buy you a late dinner and we talk about the fact that you didn’t mind me holding your hand?”

Steve blushes because damn his Irish skin. “Yeah…yeah that would…yeah I’d like that.” As they walk, Steve keeps staring at their hands. “Is it true that there wasn’t a script for that movie? And I thought your name was James.”

Bucky chuckles. “Bucky is a nickname that my sister gave me when we were kids. It stuck with my family. And yeah, there were a few scenes that we had to script, but most of them weren’t. Max just set the scene and let us go. Sometimes we shot a scene like 12 times until he got what he wanted.”

As they find a table at a diner not far from the Tower, Steve tries to maintain focus on the menu and not at the man sitting across from him. Bucky seems to be having the same problem. Because of this, they keep locking eyes over the tops of the menus. It’s finally Bucky that lays the menu down, crosses his arms over it, and stares at Steve until the super soldier looks up. “We need to talk about this hand holding thing.”

Steve blushes and leans in so that only Bucky can hear him. “I like guys too, I’ve just never told anyone because it’s no one’s damn business.”

Bucky grins and Steve sinks into the crinkle in his nose and the sparkle in his eyes. “Then I’m really glad I came home for my sister’s birthday. Might have missed out on this.” Steve doesn’t looks up from the table. “Listen, Steve, I’m not going to tell anyone because it’s not my story. But I’d really like to do this again soon and for as long as you’ll let me keep doing it, so someone might notice.”

Looking into the depths of those blue/grey eyes, Steve believes him. Maybe he’s just acting and wants his 15 minutes of fame with Captain America, but Steve trusts his gut. “I’d like that too and I don’t really give a fuck who knows. Like I said, it never came up, but I’m not afraid of people finding out.”

As the weeks go by, Bucky comes to the Tower and Steve goes to have dinner with Bucky and his sister, Becca. Pictures come out on all social media and when the PR people ask Steve what to tell the press and the world, Steve just shrugs. “I don’t give a damn what you tell them.”

Bucky leaves a month later and heads to Prague to start filming a new movie and after a couple of weeks and one really difficult mission, Steve takes one of the jets and heads to Prague too. When he arrives on set, he’s an immediate hit with everyone. Bucky’s co-star, a young woman that seems to think she’s a gift to everyone, tries to hit on Steve, but he shuts her down instantly. She takes to social media and leaves a cryptic message about ‘a certain Avenger that needs to be the center of attention.’

Bucky gets pissed, but Steve talks him down. That night, after a jealous rant that Steve finds all too attractive, he takes Bucky to bed. It’s the most intense experience of Steve’s life and he knows that he’s fallen for Bucky in every way possible. When Bucky leaves for set the next morning, Steve calls Natasha.

“So, you’re telling me that you’re in love with an A-list actor?” She doesn’t sound suspicious or disbelieving.

Steve rubs his hands down his face. “Yeah, that’s what I’m telling you.”

“Steve, I’m going to ask you a question and I’m not asking to be confrontational, I’m asking because I want you to be sure.” Steve nods at the screen. “Are you in love with the man or are you in love with a persona?”

In answer to a question that he could take exception to, Steve just starts talking. “When I met his sister, she didn’t even bat an eye. She’s so used to people knowing who her brother is, so they know who she is, that it’s all just normal for her. It was the first time someone saw me and not that shield.” He pauses and Nat waits patiently. “I thought at first that it might have been that I’m a fan of what he does, but I get to see him in the mornings when his hair is all over the place. I get to see him when he’s had a bad day and just needs someone to take care of him. Nat, I get to see him at his worst and he lets me.”

“Wow Rogers, you’ve got it bad.” She examines him in that way that Steve would swear means she’s looking right into his soul. “If he feels the same you have to grab hold of this and never let it go and never let anyone make you question it.”

The call ends and Steve’s cell immediately starts ringing. Seeing Bucky’s name and picture, Steve smiles, picking up. “Bucky?”

Steve knows that something is wrong just from the tone of Bucky’s voice. “Hey, are you busy?”

“I’m never too busy for you.” There’s a long pause. “Buck, what’s wrong?”

There’s a sniffle on the other end. “Have I told you that I love it when you call me Buck?”

“Have I told you that I just love you?” The pause is back and Steve wonders if he should have planned out how to tell the man instead of blurting it out.

“Steve?”

“Listen, I know there’s a better way to have said that, but it’s…” He doesn’t get to finish because Bucky breaks in.

“I love you too. Jesus, Steve, I just love you so fucking much and I thought it was just me.”

Steve melts into the floor at those words. “It’s definitely not just you. I want to be with you all the time. I want you to be with you…well…for as long as you’ll have me.”

“Can you come to set?”

Steve’s on set within the hour and Bucky’s in his arms, kissing the daylights out of him. Steve remembers how he sounded at the beginning of their call. “What happened to upset you earlier?”

“She’s at it again.” Steve rolls his eyes because Bucky’s co-star has been nothing but a pain since this whole production started. “She doesn’t want me in this movie anymore because, ‘I’m not believable as a straight character.’”

His first instinct is to march onto the sound stage and demand that the director fire Bucky’s co-star, but as much as he wants to, Bucky is capable of taking care of himself. “What do you want to do?”

“I want to quit or do the movie to prove her wrong or…hell…I don’t know.” Steve pulls him in, keeping him secure in the only truly safe place that Bucky has. “We were running a scene and it just wasn’t working and I don’t know if it was me or what.”

“Tell me about the scene.” Bucky takes Steve’s hand and pulls him towards the set. He hands Steve the pages of the script and stands him on a mark on the floor.

“Okay, so I’m supposed to come through that door and,” He points down at the script so that Steve can see what the directions are, “she’s supposed to challenge my feelings.”

“So, let’s run the scene and see if it’s maybe the script.” Bucky steps out of the room through the door. Coming in, they start going through the scene, but about halfway through, Steve stops. “The problem is the words. This isn’t how this would actually go.”

Bucky throws the script on the table. “I knew it! I thought it was just me, but it doesn’t feel natural.” He stands with his back to Steve, hands on his hips.

Coming up behind him, Steve wraps his arms around Bucky’s waist, pulling him in. “How would you do this scene?”

“If it were me,” He turns in Steve’s arms, giving a warm smile, “and it was you, I’d never let this scene happen. I wouldn’t fight about it, I would find out why you felt that I didn’t care about you. Then I’d show you how much I love you.”

Bucky crosses his arms over Steve’s chest and Steve grins mischievously. “And how much do you love me?”

“I think you’re fishing, Rogers.” Steve starts swaying back and forth never letting Bucky go.

“I’m most certainly fishing. Humor me and settle my insecurities.” Bucky barks a laugh.

“I love you brighter than the sun and into the very core of who I am. I love you like the moon loves the tide.” Steve hums and steps closer against Bucky.

“I love you like the sun loves the horizon and will hold you in my heart until the stars burn out.” Bucky buries his face in Steve’s neck. “Too sappy?”

“Not at all.” Looking up, Bucky sighs. “When I’m done with this movie, you’re going to move in with me and we’re getting a dog. I’m going to take a little time away and you and I are going to figure out how we’re going to make this work because I’m not letting you go, Steve Rogers.”

“I’m not letting you go either, James Barnes. For the first time, I found my place in this world.”


	12. I'm So Lonesome, I Could Cry

I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry

James Barnes is the _in_ artist. When he was 17 he entered a sculpture in an art contest and from that point on, everyone clamored to be near him. Once or twice he thought he was in love, only to find that they were more interested in who he could introduce them to. He was just a stepping stone for them. That’s why he sequestered himself away from the prying eyes of people and just work on his art. It was lonely, but he used his art as an outlet.

Rebecca Barnes made a name for herself as her brother’s manager. If someone wanted an original James Barnes, they didn’t get anywhere near him without going through her. And going through her was next to impossible. That’s why James is so confused when the door to his warehouse studio opens and someone that isn’t his sister walks in.

He comes down off the ladder and is shocked into near speechlessness. “You…you’re…Natasha Romanov.” He’s standing at the bottom of the ladder, covered in marble dust, staring at an Avenger in disbelief.

“And you’re very talented.” She walks around his current piece, assessing it. Bucky blushes and looks back at the piece he’s been struggling with for weeks. Black Widow pulls a card from her pocket and hands it to him. Taking it, confused, he sees his sister’s scrawl on the front. “Be there tonight at 8. Oh, and wear something nice.” Ms. Romanov is gone before Bucky is able to ask anything about the situation.

Looking at the card there’s an address on the back for a restaurant that Bucky wouldn’t normally go to. He’s sure the food is great, but he just can’t spend that kind of money, even thought he has it to spend. The note from his sister is simple enough, ‘Do what the lady tells you.’ Shrugging, he puts it into his pocket and forgets about it until much later that afternoon.

Now he’s scrubbed clean and standing in his bedroom with a towel around his waist and staring into his closet. He’d call Becca and ask what ‘nice’ means, but he’s a grown man. Pulling out a pair of grey slacks and a grey cashmere sweater, he nods at his choice. “That should do it.”

He arrives at the restaurant a little early, but figures he can get a drink at the bar while getting his bearings. More than likely this will be like the time he met Pepper Potts for a commission. He just hopes that Becca gets here soon so he knows who he needs to shake hands with. The hostess looks up, eyes going wide because everyone knows James Barnes about as well as they know the Avengers. “Mr. Barnes, your table is ready.” So much for that drink. She leads him to a back table, almost hidden completely from the rest of the diners.

He orders a drink and waits. The table is for two, so maybe Becca is going to leave him to negotiate this commission. He seriously doubts that though. As he’s checking his phone to see if Becca sent a text, a shadow falls over the table. He’s just about ready to put on his fake ‘it’s so nice to meet you, but not really’ smile, but freezes when he sees who’s standing at the edge of the table. Bucky drops his phone and then steps on it when he stands too quickly. “Oh shit, Mr. Rogers, am I at the wrong table?”

Bucky’s never thought of himself as a bumbling idiot, but you learn something new about yourself every day. Captain Rogers puts his hands out to calm the young artist, then bends down to pick up the phone. “I think you’re going to need a new phone.” The blond is looking down at the phone in his hand before offering it back to its owner. “And you aren’t at the wrong table. I don’t think anyway.”

Bucky takes the phone and frowns at it. “I don’t understand, I thought I was meeting a buyer.”

“And I thought I was meeting a blind date.” The light bulb goes off in Bucky’s head. His sister is a shit and she’s somehow working with Black Widow.

“I think we’re both at the mercy of two women that no one says no to.” Captain Rogers chuckles and motions for Bucky to sit back down. Once they are both seated, the waiter comes back with Bucky’s drink and Steve orders one too.

“If one of those women is Natasha, then yes, you would be right. Who’s your friend?” Steve even uses air quotes and Bucky is finding himself charmed, but also confused.

“It would be my sister.” The waiter comes back with Steve’s drink and then discretely leaves them alone. “I’m sorry you wasted a trip down here. We could still have dinner then you can go back and tell Ms. Romanov that she got the gender wrong.” Bucky chuckles at his joke.

Steve leans forward, crossing his arms on the table, smiling sweetly at Bucky. “She didn’t get the gender wrong and you’re exactly my type.” The blush runs from Bucky’s forehead to, what he’s sure are, his toes. Steve Rogers, the epitome of Bucky’s fantasy life, is, at the very least, bi-sexual. “That surprises you.”

Bucky’s still staring at his dinner fork because he doesn’t want to look up, but he does nod. “Yeah, quite a lot actually. I guess I just believed all the hype.”

Steve reaches over, taking one of Bucky’s hands, kissing it affectionately. Bucky looks up. “Don’t ever believe the hype. People sell what they think everyone wants to buy and what’s really going on isn’t that at all.”

“So you came here tonight knowing that you were meeting me?” Finally looks up, Bucky is shocked to find Steve looking at him, really looking at him.

“No, I came here because Natasha told me that my perfect man would be waiting.” Bucky blushes again, but doesn’t look down. Mainly, he can’t break eye contact with this beautiful man sitting across from him. “And she wasn’t wrong.”

Dinner turns into more laughter than Bucky can remember having on any date. They trade stories about their respective manipulators, who they both love more than anything. Steve tells him about the team and explains that as smart as they are, it took them entirely too long to figure out that he’s gay and Peggy Carter was just a front to keep his ‘All-American’ image going. Bucky tells the super soldier about his work and some of the insane things that people have asked him to sculpt.

As they’re getting ready to part ways outside of the restaurant, Steve reaches out, taking Bucky’s hand. He seems like he wants to say something, but doesn’t know how. “Steve?”

The blond’s eyes shoot up, looking embarrassed, like he’s been caught. “I had a really good time tonight…and…I really don’t…”

Bucky understands because he feels the same way. “Hey, you want to come back to my studio and see what I’m working on? I don’t usually let anyone see the in progress stuff, but you’re an artist too, so it’s okay.”

“Yes, I would really like that.” Steve calls his car and within minutes Happy is pulling up to the curb. The ride is quiet, but Steve never lets go of Bucky’s hand. When they reach the warehouse, Bucky lets Steve in and that’s when he gets to see a side of the Avenger that he’s betting not many people get to see.

Bucky sees Steve Rogers, the artist.

They talk about Bucky’s inspiration. They talk about the different mediums that he works in. They talk about the piece that’s been giving Bucky so much trouble. Steve shares the art he used to do back in the day. Steve shares his preferred use of charcoal and how he can see his vision better in that medium. Steve shares his honest thoughts on the in-progress piece.

Looking up at the piece, Bucky’s eyes light up and he pulls off his sweater. “Do you mind?” He’s got his tools in his hands before asking. Steve shakes his head and goes to drag over a chair from the far corner. Bucky works for hours and they never talk.

What should be a very uncomfortable situation, isn’t. Bucky’s absorbed in the work and Steve’s absorbed in watching Bucky work. The piece takes on a new shape, a brand new aura. Coming off the ladder, Bucky stands back to look at the changes his made. There will be more tomorrow and the day after, but for now, it’s taken on a new life. Putting the tools down, he turns to Steve. “I’m sorry, but the more you talked, the clearer it became. I’m sure you didn’t want to just sit…”

The words die on his lips because Steve’s taken possession of Bucky’s mouth. It doesn’t start sweet and turn heated, it’s an inferno from the first touch. Not breaking the kiss, Bucky reaches up to start undoing the buttons on Steve’s shirt. Pulling away, Steve pulls the shirt over his head to save time. “I didn’t intend…this isn’t what…” Steve steps back, hands on his hips. “This isn’t a onetime thing for me. I’m going to want to see you again, even if we do this.”

Bucky jumps into Steve’s arms, trusting him to take the weight. “Good because I have a feeling I’m going to get addicted to you very quickly.”

They end up using the bed near the far window that Bucky sleeps in all too often when he’s working. Steve lays him down carefully in the blankets, pulling the rest of Bucky’s clothes off, then undresses himself. Bucky’s breath catches and he wonders if Steve would pose for him. He wonders if he would want anyone else to see Steve’s body immortalized in marble. When Steve lays on top of him and Bucky’s brain whites out from the contact, he decides that he very much doesn’t want anyone seeing Steve’s body immortalized in marble. He wants to keep that all to himself.

They neither one have lube, so Steve takes Bucky in hand and the artist hangs on for dear life and praises whatever deity is in charge of everything…repeatedly. Bucky returns the favor and knows that he’s going to want this with Steve for a very long time. Late in the night, in the quiet, the only sound that Bucky can hear is Steve’s breathing. His head is pillowed on the super soldier’s chest and Steve’s arm is around his shoulder, holding him close. “I meant what I said.” The quiet words surprise Bucky. He looks up into blue, sincere eyes. “This isn’t a onetime thing for me. I don’t think I’ve connected with anyone they way I did with you.”

Bucky rests his chin on Steve’s pec and smiles. “I’m glad because I know I’ve never felt that immediate pull to anyone before.” Steve leans down kissing Bucky’s forehead. “Stay the night?”

Three months later, Bucky arrives at the unveiling of his new piece with his boyfriend in tow. The Avengers arrive and smile at how happy and open Steve seems to be. It’s a direct contrast to the brooding man they had come to know. Now, he smiles all the time and moved out of the Tower and into a Brooklyn brownstone that Bucky bought years ago. It turns out having two artists living in one home meant creative energy at all times. Sometimes they go to the studio and while Bucky carves, Steve sketches. Other times, creative energy means really spectacular sex all over the brownstone. Becca gives Steve the shovel talk and Natasha gives a similar one to Bucky.

Neither is needed because when Bucky looks up, catching Steve’s eyes across the room, they both know that this is for keeps. Steve is Bucky’s muse and Bucky is Steve’s everything.


	13. Kokomo

Kokomo

This vacation, that Tony thought was a good idea, is going to end up being the end of Steve Rogers. That’s it, Steve’s going to die and there’s nothing that anyone can do to save him. He knows that Natasha is to blame for this and when he dies, he’s going to come back and haunt her. He’s going to show up, all dead and shit, and scare her senseless.

He’s probably being overly dramatic, but he knows she’s the one that bought those swim trunks for Bucky. They can’t really be called trunks either, they’re like short shorts and Steve wants to die because Bucky has the best legs, the thighs especially, and ass of any man, ever! And wearing those shorts puts all that on display. At least Steve’s only seen him from the back.

Then…

“Barnes, you want another drink?” Natasha, who is standing behind Steve calls to the ex-assassin turned Avenger…and Bucky turns around on the opposite side, having pulled himself out of the water.

Steve nearly swallows his tongue because what’s in front is on display through the shorts that are clinging to Bucky’s…everything.

Bucky smiles and Steve wants to sink under the water and die. “Yeah, I’ll take another of whatever that last thing was.”

Steve starts to beg internally, ‘please turn back around, please turn back around’ because it’s one of those things that now that he’s seen all of…that…he’s not going to be able to think about anything else. It’s hard enough for Steve to keep everything he feels under wraps when Bucky is wearing his uniform, or jeans, or sweats, or those cute pj’s that have the kitten on them. Okay, so Bucky can be wearing anything and Steve’s brain goes off line for a minute, but this, this is Steve’s brain going off line and never wanting to come back on.

“I’ll get the guy to make you one.” Steve could think that Nat is just being friendly, but she ruffles his hair as she turns around to go to the bar. She’s doing this on purpose because she knows, of course she knows.

“Hey Stevie, you doin okay? You look a little rattled.” Bucky jumps back into the water and swims over, arms on the side of the pool, resting his chin on his hands.

Steve pulls himself together just enough to answer. Or stutter through an answer. “Oh…uh…yeah…doin great, Buck.”

Bucky just grins and swims away. Steve’s gonna die because now he’s watching Bucky’s ass move through the water and those legs, dear Jesus those legs, are so strong.

“See something you like, Rogers?” Natasha whispers then goes to the end of the pool to hand off the drink to Bucky and Steve watches how they smile at each other.

His heart sinks.

Pepper wants everyone to go out to a restaurant for Steve’s birthday dinner, but all Steve wants to do is wallow in misery. He should have seen it coming, the whole Bucky and Nat thing. Bucky spent more time in Hydra’s possession than he did with Steve, so of course they have more in common. He’s caught them more than once talking in Russian with flirty smiles.

After his shower, he goes to get dressed and sees the suit hanging on the door. He can’t, he really just can’t, so Steve pulls on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and heads out the patio door of his bungalow. Stepping into the sand, still warm from the bright, sunny day they just enjoyed, he goes to the water’s edge and dips his toes in the water. Looking down the beach, he sees a pier and heads that way. A long time ago, there was another pier, far away from here, that was just for Bucky and Steve.

He has to be happy for Bucky. If his friend is feeling well enough, connected enough, to have someone special in his life, Steve needs to be happy. When they were kids, no matter what was going on in Bucky’s life, Steve was always part of it and now, he wants to be part of this too.

He just didn’t expect it to hurt so much. Nat knows how he feels, that’s obvious, but she’s not holding it against him. That’s good, she’s always been a good friend like that. She gives him a hard time, but never pushes outside the boundaries. She deserves to be happy.

Bucky is another thing entirely. He deserves happiness more than anyone and with Steve, there are no boundaries. Steve will be his friend, his confidant and anything else that his friend needs. He just wishes that it didn’t hurt so damn bad right now. Getting his head on straight is the first order of business. Figuring out how to be happy for Bucky and Nat is the next.

He goes to the end of the pier and looks down at the water. “Don’t jump.” The voice is quiet, not meant to disturb and considering who it is, that’s a surprise. “You’re going to miss your dinner, Cap.”

Steve turns, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning on the railing. “I just needed a minute to myself, Tony.”

“Team building doesn’t work if we don’t do stuff as a team.” Tony’s fishing, but it doesn’t seem to be calculated.

“You’re fishing.” Tony chuckles and leans against the railing next to Steve.

“Yeah, and you’re falling apart, old man.” It could be a jab, but it doesn’t feel that way. Steve looks at him, quirking an eyebrow. “I was watching you at the pool today. Why didn’t you tell me you were in love with him?”

Steve doesn’t try to deny it because Tony’s smarter than that and sees more than most people give him credit for. He’s also one of Steve’s closest friends. “Because he didn’t need that on him when he first came back and now he’s moved on. What’s the point of saying anything now?”

“It gets it off of your chest and he’s supposed to be your best friend. Shouldn’t you be able to tell him anything?” Steve weighs what Tony is saying, but also looks at the whole situation.

“Tony, if Pepper had fallen in love with…say…Happy and was building a life with him, would you weigh that down with your feelings?” Steve gives Tony the side-eye and knows his friend is thinking about it.

“No, I guess I wouldn’t.” Tony puts a hand on Steve’s arm. “I’m here if you need me.” Steve nods and watches Tony make his way back down the pier.

He turns back around and watches the water for a little longer and then heads back to his bungalow. As he gets closer, he sees Bucky standing on the patio, still in those damn shorts. They’re dry now, but still cling to all the places that Steve dreams about on a regular basis. “Buck? Shouldn’t you be getting dressed?”

His friend was looking at the ground, but now looks up at Steve through his lashes. “I could be asking you the same question, pal.”

“I’m allowed to be late to this dinner, it’s supposed to be for me.” Bucky chuckles, but still doesn’t look up at Steve. “Buck? What’s going on?”

His friend sighs and rubs his metal arm. “Today at the pool you got upset about something. I tried to tell Tasha, but she said you were fine.”

“You should listen to your girlfriend, Bucky. I’m good.” Steve steps past him and into the door, so he misses the look of shock on Bucky’s face. “Now, go get dressed so we can celebrate. It’s my birthday!” He tries to put more cheer in his voice than he really feels. Steve knows that Nat was covering for him because there’s no way that she didn’t see the sadness in Steve’s eyes.

Bucky follows him into the room. “I know you better than anyone, even Tash and I know what I saw. Why are you lying to me?”

Steve huffs and lets his shoulders slump. He doesn’t turn because if he sees the look of betrayal on his friend’s face, Steve is sure he’ll cave and tell him the truth. “I think it best if we don’t talk about this. Really Bucky, I’m okay.”

“Steve, please look at me.” Steve turns and Bucky’s sitting on the end of the bed and the fucking shorts are stretched across his thighs. For his birthday, Steve did not wish for death, but it seems that’s what he’s getting anyway. The ex-assassin doesn’t miss the look. “Is that what it is? Steve, do you…are you…”

Steve just hangs his head because now Bucky has seen it. Turning away again, the blond feels like if the earth opened up and swallowed him that would be the best birthday present he could get. “It’s not what you think.”

“Oh and what do I think?” Bucky gets up, going to stand in front of his friend, but Steve won’t look at him. “Because I think you’re attracted to me. That maybe you want…what…to fuck me.”

“Buck! No! It’s not…I would never…you’re more, so much more.” Steve feels his eyes fill with tears, but Buck’s smiling.

“Oh yeah? How much more?” Steve decides in for a penny in for a pound.

“I’m in love with you, so it would never just be fucking.” And for the first time in decades, Steve feels like he’s going to suffocate. “I’m sorry, shit…that wasn’t supposed…you and Nat…and I would never.”

“Well first, Nat and I are not a thing and I don’t even know where you got that idea. Second, I know if I was with someone else, you would never come between that.” Bucky steps into Steve’s space, almost chest to chest. “And third, we’re going to skip dinner because I have other things I want to do instead.”

Steve swallows like he’s trying to get remember how his throat works. “W-w-what o-o-other th-things?”

“Well, we’re going to start by getting cleaned up because I haven’t showered yet, then we’re going to come back in here and finish what we start in the shower.” His eyes are twinkling and that Bucky Barnes mischief that Steve remembers is back. “And I hope you don’t mind, but I’m planning on roughing you up enough that the marks are still there tomorrow for everyone to see.”

Seriously, Steve forgets everything at that point: how to swallow and how to breathe. “Oh…”

Bucky walks away from him, with those cursed shorts and Steve follows like an invisible string is pulling him along. As he steps into the bathroom, Bucky pushes the shorts over the swell of his ass and Steve’s brain does go completely off line. Looking back over his shoulder, Bucky smirks. “How does it look out of the shorts?”

“So much better.” The shower starts and Bucky just keeps laughing. “Buck?” Suddenly shy and insecure, Steve stops in the doorway.

Bucky knows his friend and when he turns and Steve sees…everything, the blond nearly passes out. Coming to him, he helps Steve out of his shirt, then out of his pants and underwear. Whistling, Bucky stares down at everything Steve Rogers. “Damn baby, you are…perfect.” He looks up and sees Steve’s face go red. “Oh, and as for those insecurities you’re having, I love you too and have since I remember who I was.”

Steve falls into the kiss like his body has been doing it for years. But what he came up with in his mind was never this good though and Bucky hums into the kiss and Steve smiles. “I love you.”

“I love you too, now let’s get showered because I have so many ideas for your birthday present.” Bucky steps into the shower, pulling Steve with him.

“You’re keeping the shorts, right?” Bucky looks up and Steve winks at him.

“There kinda growin on me.”


	14. It Must Have Been Love

It Must Have Been Love

Being old is hell, but being an old super soldier is even worse. Still having the body of someone decades younger, but graying hair and beard meant that people treated him like he was dotty. Steve liked the wrinkles around his eyes, they gave him character. He liked his graying hair, it gave him character. Sam’s son, who carried the shield for a little while, used to laugh at him about that, but Riley is gone now, like so many others. 

That’s the other thing about being a super soldier, by the time you really get old, everyone you loved and cared about is gone. No one knew that the serum would extend his life this long. He still has Morgan’s daughter, Antonia and Morgan’s granddaughter, Ginny. He misses his friends though, but loves the life that he’s be able to live.

He still lives at the Compound, but it’s changed drastically over the years. And the technology that Ginny and Peter’s son Benjamin have come up with is something that Tony never could have dreamed up. His new apartment, that Antonia built for him years ago, is in the older part of the Compound, but is on the top floor with enough natural light that he can always paint or sketch. Lately, it’s been sculpting though. Whether clay or bigger pieces out of marble, he likes the way it feels. Plus with his strength, it’s not a struggle. That’s the other thing about the serum, he may look close to 60, but he’s still built like a man in his 30’s. It’s always interesting how the media makes such a big deal about his age on his birthday. It’s like they expect him to look 138, but he doesn’t and takes great pleasure when he’s videoed running in the mornings.

Last week he finished up a clay sculpture that came to him in a dream. It was a man and nothing about him was common. In Steve’s dream, the young, beautiful man was lying with his head in the super soldier’s lap laughing at Steve telling him that he was too old for someone so full of life. The young man’s response was, ‘But when the soul is beautiful the heart is young.’

Steve started molding the clay the next day. So he finished that last week and asked Ginny to get him a block of marble. When he told her the size, she snorted, but placed the order. It’s supposed to be here today and Steve’s excited, but also weary. He’s never carved anything this big. They put marble in one of the older hangers where Steve can work without being disturbed, unless, of course, his young friends decide he needs to be disturbed.

He brings the clay version as a reference and Antonia whistles when she sees it. “Damn, Uncle Steve, he’s hot.”

Steve barks a laugh and sets the reference down. “Yeah, I guess my dreams are trying to tell me something.”

“Yeah, you need to get laid.” Steve snorts. Over the years he’s relaxed about comments like that. He pretty much had to when Morgan got to an age where she sounded more and more like her father and that just carried over into the next two generations.

“Just remember to stop and eat. You get sick and I’ll have the suits kick your ass.” Steve laughs again as she closes the door. 

He moves around the block and puts his hands on it, feeling the cold stone and wondering how he’s going to bring out such a warm, joyous impression of a man from such lifeless stone. But by that evening, when Steve stands back looking at the stone, he can see the man’s form. The following morning, he’s got hammer and chisel in hand.

For weeks he works on the marble and then for weeks after that he carefully begins to bring out the shape. He doesn’t lose focus and never feels that he’s taken on more than he can handle. All Steve really knows is that he wants to release the man from his dreams out of the marble. Maybe this is how he’ll have companionship. Maybe this statue will keep him company, so while he carves, he talks to it and hopes the man inside can hear him.

It’s been months and Steve finally stands back and looks at what he’s created. He’s magnificent, but Steve almost feels like he had nothing to do with it, like he was just the instrument used by the man inside the marble. Stepping over, he runs a hand up the man’s leg and feels the cold under his palm. It’s so strange because he expects it to be warm. Laughing to himself, Steve steps back. “I think I’m getting senile.” 

Running his hands over the stone again, he feels something off on the left hip. Picking up his tool again, he leans in, but stops. Laying his head against the marble, Steve feels tears gather in his eyes. It’s been years since he’s cried, but he watches as they track down the marble surface. “I never thought of myself as being alone.” It’s a heavy burden to let rest on his shoulders. 

Leaving the slight imperfection, Steve returns to his apartment and showers. It’s later than he thought. After letting the water warm him, Steve goes to the kitchen and fixes a quick meal of eggs and bacon. The day took a toll on him, so he climbs into bed and looks at the pillow on the opposite side. Years ago, Natasha and Sam tried to fix him up with people. He thinks about that now and then, but at the time, he felt he had a duty. There were opportunities along the way, but it always felt cheap, so after a while, Steve just didn’t do that anymore. Now he reaches out, touching the pillow and wonders what it would be like to have someone there with him. He falls asleep not long after. 

The dreams are so real when they happen and sometimes Steve wakes in the morning feeling like he’s lost something important. Tonight’s dream is just like the others in that it feels too real to just be a dream. The gorgeous man, flesh and bone instead of marble, crawls into the bed with Steve. Pulling the sheet over their heads, he looks at Steve and smiles, giggling at the older man and crawling over him to snuggle against his chest.

Steve wakes warm and smiling. That only happens on the nights that he dreams of the man in the marble. The difference is, this morning that warm feeling doesn’t seem to be going away. The more awake Steve becomes, the surer he is that there is a body in the bed with him. Once he’s fully awake, he tightens his arm and is convinced that the body cuddled into his side will disappear, but that doesn’t happen.

Steve bolts upright in bed and the body next to him, frowns up with a pout that shouldn’t be as cute as it is for a stranger. When Steve has his bearings, standing next to the bed, looking down at the flesh and blood man in his bed, who looks to be as naked as the day he was born. Steve gives a slightly hysterical chuckle because if this really is the marble statue, then this guy was born yesterday. “Who are you? How did you get in here? DOTTIE, how did this man get into my bed?”

The man sits up, but doesn’t worry himself about his lack of clothing, looking up at Steve, still pouting. His chestnut hair falls around his shoulders, messy and the best thing that Steve’s ever seen. He’s exactly as perfect as Steve carved him from the lips, to the shoulders, to those thighs. If they guy has the same ass, Steve may just let this delusion play out. 

The AI finally responds. ‘Commander Rogers, it appears that your guest came from the hanger in the Alpha Complex. He did not trip any alarms, sir, because he was inside the Compound already.’

Steve needs to see if this really is the marble statue and if it is, then he can figure out how it happened. Slipping a shirt and slippers on, he grabs the guys hand and pulls him up from the bed. “Come on. I need to see where you came from.” They’re halfway to the door when Steve looks at the guy and stops. “Shit, you can’t go out there without clothes. Stay here.”

Steve goes to the dresser and gets pj’s and a t-shirt. When he looks back up, he gets a look at the guys back and his ass is just as spectacular as Steve feared. Almost like the guy can read Steve’s thoughts, he smile shyly over his shoulder. “I hope you like everything.” He turns so Steve can see his front and all those lithe muscles and then Steve zeros in on _everything_ and nearly whines. God, he wants to steer this guy right back to the bed and do unspeakable things to him.

Clearing his throat, Steve hands him the clothes. “Put those on, so we can go back to the hanger.”

“Why? You don’t like me being here? I thought you would.” He looks sad now and Steve can’t have that.

“Sssshhhh, sweetheart, of course I like having you here, I just need to figure out where you came from.” The guy nuzzles into Steve’s neck and wraps his arms around the super soldier, so Steve does the same. “That better, honey?”

He nods his head and looks up at Steve. “You’re really pretty. It’s hard to see inside the rock, but you’re really pretty.”

Steve chuckles and tries not to focus too much on the rock comment. “I’m really old. I’m not sure I can be pretty anymore, sweetheart.”

Turning he bends down to pick up the clothes that Steve dropped and boy it does things to Steve’s mind…and body. Slipping into the clothes he turns to take Steve’s hand and leads him out of the apartment. “I’ll show you how I got here.” He leads Steve through corridors and across the tarmac to the old hanger. When they enter, where the statue was yesterday is a blank pedestal. 

Walking over, he looks at the empty spot and back at the beautiful young man watching him. “How? I mean…this doesn’t make any sense.”

“Neither do half the things you’ve done in your life, Steve, but you did them. Why is this so different? You wanted me to be alive, so I’m alive.” Looking down at the floor, he seems hurt. “Unless you don’t want me alive anymore.”

Steve practically runs back over to him, wrapping him up in his arms. Leaning in, he kisses the top of his head. “Of course I want you here, it just doesn’t seem possible.”

“You’ve been alone a long time, Steve. It’s about time you had someone for your very own.” He looks up and Steve loses his breath at the unnatural color of his eyes. 

“But you aren’t mine. You are your own person now and I don’t own you.” He smiles and Steve leans in carefully, giving a feather light kiss. “Not that I would be opposed to you staying here.”

There’s a deep throaty chuckle from the younger man. “I’m glad you want me to stay.” He looks content to just stay in Steve’s arms. Then he frowns again. “I need a name, Steve. I like the endearments, but you can’t introduce me as Sweetheart or Honey.”

He turns to looks at the pedestal and Steve stares at the way his hair falls down his shoulder. “Oh, I don’t know. If you do stick around, I’m sure there are plenty of people that would call you all kinds of endearments.” He whips around quickly and looks hard at Steve.

“You think I’m going to end up leaving you. Is it because you think you’re too old?” Steve looks at the floor and tries not to let that thought show in his face. “That’s what it is. You think that I can’t possibly want you because you’re so much older than me. Steve! Everyone’s older than me. I was literally born last night.”

Steve can’t help the bellow of laughter. “We do need to find you a name.” Steve thinks back to that brown haired, brown eyed man from the war. The war so long ago that most people think of it as ancient history. This beautiful man in front of him looks nothing like that boy back then, the boy that was a friend, but never anything more. This man, standing in front of him looking determined, with his stormy blue eyes and a face blessed from above, is everything Steve’s ever believed to be perfect.

The man looks over at him, smiling with such kindness that is makes Steve’s heart beat double time. “What are you thinking?”

“I had a friend, a long time ago, and his name was James.” Steve gets a thoughtful frown.

“It’s very formal. Do I look like a James to you?” Steve looks at him and for a split second, he has a thought so hopelessly romantic that it surprises him. What the man looks like it every hope and dream that Steve’s ever had over his very long life.

“You could be or we could give you a nickname instead. Something less formal.” The man jumps into Steve’s arms, hugging him and nuzzling into his neck.

“Yes, let’s do that.” Jumping, Steve has to catch him in a bridal carry. “Carry me home, Steven. I wish to try food.”

Steve snorts a laugh, but does as he’s told. When they get back to the apartment, the man starts going through the fridge and finds grapes. Taking one, he pops it into his mouth and biting down he gets a blissed-out look on his face that Steve suddenly wants to see in another setting. Clearing his throat, the man looks over, bashfully, like he knows what Steve was just thinking. “I’ll fix us something to eat and you think about what you want me to call you. I also have to figure out a way to tell my friends about you.”

“Will they not like me?” As confident as the man seems, there’s still an edge of innocence about how he looks at things.

“Sweetheart,” The man blushes and smiles shyly at the endearment and Steve feels twenty feet tall for having caused that, “it’s not that they won’t like you, but you appeared out of nowhere. They’re going to have questions. I have questions.” He seems concerned at that and Steve goes over to hug him. “It’s not every day that a statue comes to life.”

He giggles into Steve’s neck. “From everything I know I’m surprised it hasn’t happened before.”

That peaks Steve’s interest. “Honey, how do you know anything about me?”

There’s a careless shrug. “Don’t know, I just do. I know about your childhood and during the war and I know about coming out of the ice and what happened after. I know how much it hurt when you lost each of your friends, except Thor because he’s still alive. I just know.” He looks up. “Is that bad?” Steve thinks about everything he talked about while working and realizes that everything he knows, Steve told him.

Those eyes and the casual way he bites his lip when he asks is more than Steve can handle. Leaning in, he seals their lips together and the young man moans into it, struggling to get closer. Pulling him tight against his body, everything in Steve screams to keep him here to keep him safe, to just keep him. Lifting his head, Steve leans down, just a little and presses their foreheads together, eyes closed and just living in this minute. “This is very bad.” He tries to pull away inhaling a sharp breath, but Steve hangs on. “No Sweetheart, I mean I could love you so easy.”

“Then let yourself. I want to love you too, so let me.” It would be that easy for Steve. If he just let go of all of his questions and just let himself have this.

The apartment door opens and Ginny comes in with Antonia in tow. “Uncle Steve! What the hell happened to the sta…” Her words stop when she sees the two men embracing. She starts to make an inappropriate comment, but the man turns and she sees his face. “Holy shit!”

Steve spends the next half hour of so fixing breakfast with the young man helping him and explaining what he knows about all of this. They sit and eat and Steve can’t help watching how his new companion tries everything and seems to love it all. “Oh my god, what are these called again?”

“Those are waffles, honey.” Antonia and Ginny grin because they’ve never see their Uncle Steve like this. He’s always kind and gentle with them, but others, outsiders, are treated with a cool demeanor. This is Steve gentle and kind in a whole different way.

“I love waffles.” Ginny snorts and the man looks over at her, grinning so extreme that his nose crinkles. Steve leans in, kissing it because he just can’t help himself.

Antonia watches in awe that someone, in such a short time, has gotten him out of shell. “Okay, we need to figure out how this happened because you are keeping him because I’ve never seen you this happy.”

The man looks over at Steve. “HA! Your family likes me, so you have to keep me.”

Steve barks a laugh and pulls him into a hug. “I’m not sure I could get rid of you if I tried, which I’m not going to do.”

This isn’t the weirdest thing the people at the Compound have seen, but as Steve walks from the Alpha Section, into the Delta Section, where the new Avengers have their central command, the former Captain America, Commander Rogers, is looked at strange. He knows they’re looking, but he doesn’t care because his companion wants to hold his hand and Steve isn’t going to deny this man anything if possible. Entering the command center, Steve sees a message going out to Thor. New Asgard is doing well and Thor doesn’t rule them as much as guide them.

“Why are you contacting Thor?” Antonia looks over her shoulder.

“Well, Uncle Steve, this seems to be magic to me, not sure what kind, but if it is, then who better to answer those questions than someone that comes from magic.” Steve remembers how much Tony fought against believing in magic, but it’s become so normal now.

“You’re always one step ahead of me.” He gets a hand squeeze from the man with him.

“No, you’re just distracted right now.” She winks over at the young man.

The man presses into his side, laying his head on Steve’s shoulder. “I like her very much.”

Thor arrives in a blaze of glory, as always. He strides over to shake Steve’s hand and hug the girls. “My friends, it is very good to see all of you.” He turns to the young man, who’s still looking at the god in awe and smiles gently. “So, you are the one Loki calls Bucky.”

Steve looks shocked. “Thor? What does Loki have to do with this and Bucky?”

Thor chuckles and looks at his old friend. “It would seem that my brother has been playing again, but this time he wished to give you something that you have not allowed yourself to have.” Whereas Thor used to have such a booming voice, he’s quieter now, settled in a way that he never was before.

The first thought in Steve’s mind is the first fear to come out of his mouth. “For how long?” Thor looks at him confused and ‘Bucky’ looks at him in fear. “How long before he goes away?”

Thor truly looks aghast by that. “Steven, he would not give you this gift then take it away. I know he has not always been amiable, but he is no longer cruel.”

The young man looks at Thor. “Why Bucky?” Realizing he may offend, he quickly adds. “Not that I don’t like it, I’m just curious.”

Thor grins at him and pats him on the shoulder. “Because, my friend, my brother looked at Steven’s carving and said, ‘he is quite buxom is he not.’” Turning to Steve, he nods. “He would never give you this gift and then take it away. No matter what you think of him from before, he has changed much in his travels.” Steve doesn’t have the heart to tell Thor that Loki’s use of buxom is incorrect, but Bucky does seem to fit his new…companion.

Steve looks down, taking a calming breath. “He’s not attached to me because I’m the sculptor, is he?”

Bucky turns to looks at him and reaches up, hand to Steve’s cheek, and turns the older man to face him. “I can answer that, Steve.” Steve meets his eyes and sees Bucky searching. “I am here and want to be with you because you are beautiful in ways that even through the stone I could feel. I am here because I could and will fall in love with you for the kindness in your heart. I’m here because I choose to be.”

Now Steve nods and places a hand over the one already on his cheek. “And you’re sure you want to be with a man so much older?”

“Your age is nothing, but I will say that your body is a turn on, so…” Thor bursts with laughter and Bucky joins him.

Steve can’t help but chuckle. “Bucky?”

The young man looks at him. “Yes, Stevie?”

“I like it. It fits you.” Bucky positively glows at that and leans up for a kiss. “I’m going to get very used to that really quickly.”

“Then perhaps you should take your ‘friend’ up to your apartment and get used to a lot more.” Steve turns to glare at Antonia. “What? It’s been years at least. Go get you some, Cap.”

Steve hears his friend from so long ago and decides that Tony’s words were wise after all. It is time to find himself some of that life.

Time passes

Bucky runs through the Compound being chased by a super soldier that at a 140 should not move as fast as he does. Giggling all the way into the Delta Section, the agents there are used to this kind of behavior from the two men. Nicholas J. Fury, III laughs when Bucky hides behind him and Steve comes to a stop, glaring. “What did your young man do to you this time, Commander?”

Steve fights the grin that threatens to break across his face. “I asked him what he wanted for his birthday.”

Nick turns around, quirking an eyebrow at Bucky. “And you said?”

“I said a wedding in Figi.” At that point, Nick does laugh and Steve can’t help but join in.

“He found the ring and beat me to the punch, Director.” Nick chuckles and Steve looks forlorn.

Bucky comes out from behind Nick and throws himself into Steve’s arms. “But at least you know that I’ll say yes.”

Steve’s arms wrap tightly around his waist and Bucky goes willingly when Steve pulls him closer. “Yes, I suppose that’s true.” He looks over at the Director. “What are the chances that everyone will be free to fly to Figi?”

Fury cackles at that. “I dare any evil masterminds to try anything when you set a date. This team will go in with extreme prejudice.”

Fury walks away and Steve kisses Bucky with all the passion and love that’s built over their time together. “I’m going to take you back to our apartment and punish you, young man.”

Bucky jumps, wrapping his legs around Steve’s waist. “Promise because if you aren’t sure what I deserve, I have a few ideas.”

“I think I can come up with something.” As they pass a few of the younger agents, Steve smiles evilly. “I think edging you for most of the night should do it.”


	15. Moonlight Serenade

Moonlight Serenade

Everyone in Saugerties knows Bucky Barnes. His family has been in the area for generations and he’s the only one that remains part of the town. His sister Becca moved to Paris years ago with a man that accepted all of the idiosyncrasies of the family, but Bucky has had no luck in that area of his life. It’s okay, at least that’s what he tells himself, but can also feel the loneliness deep in the night when he cuddles up in bed with his cat. Sabrina is great, he loves her dearly, but it’s not the same as having a warm, human body next to him.

Bucky lives in the village of Saugerties and not the main township. People come from all over to see him and ask advice. His family has been the providers of wisdom and in a few instances, potions for people in desperate need. Bucky, and those that came before him, are witches. Not the wicked type, but the helpful type. Members of his family have always been kitchen witches, but Bucky considers himself a kitchen/green witch. His garden is testament to the fact that his power permeates the area around his cottage.

But he’s also very good at cooking the spells into his food. That’s how he usually serves his friends. They keep him safe and protect him from people that might come looking for power they don’t deserve. No one gets past Sam, the sheriff, or Natasha, the mayor.

Stepping out onto the porch, Bucky cradles his coffee in his hands and watches Sabrina leaping through the pumpkins, chasing an imaginary enemy. She stops and looks over, giving Bucky _that_ look. “What? Is someone coming?” Looking out towards the road, Bucky can see the sheriff’s cruiser. “It’s a little early for Sam.” Going back inside, he fixes a cup of coffee just the way Sam likes it and is back on the porch by the time his friend parks. “Sam!”

Sam comes to the porch with a smile and takes the offered coffee. “Morning Buck.” They go to the side garden and sit at the small table that Bucky keeps there. “I need to tell you about someone that came into town last night. He was asking questions that no one knew how to answer.” Sam sighs. “He was asking for the witch that lives here and some of the other tourists got really interested. I had to take him to the station and have a talk with him.”

“Who is this guy?” All of this makes Bucky nervous and Sabrina jumps into his lap, settling in while purring to keep her witch calm.

“He says his name in Steve and I did a search.” Sam shrugs. “He’s an artist from New York. He’s got a few arrests, but mostly for civil disobedience. Protests and stuff.” He chuckles and looks over at Bucky. “Stuff you’d protest too if you did that kind of thing.”

They talk for a while longer and Bucky tells Sam to let it play out. If this Steve guy is meant to find Bucky, he will. Bucky busies himself during the day in the garden and then in the kitchen. For some reason he feels the need to bake something for anxiety, but not his own. After the pastries are in the oven, another wave comes over him and he starts a soup meant to help with respiratory problems. It’s weird, but he never ignores when he gets these feelings.

That evening, Bucky prepares everything for the full moon, but not just any full moon, a blue moon. Sabrina dances around Bucky’s feet, excited for the energy that’s coming off of him. He doesn’t tell his friends about the moon rituals because Natasha’s just pushy enough to want to join him and sometimes Bucky needs this time to himself. A full moon is powerful, but a Blue Moon is something witches wait for. It’s a power that comes around so rarely, hence the saying, ‘once in a blue moon.’ Tonight, Bucky’s prepared everything and goes out to the clearing where all of his outdoor rituals take place. 

The bright, white beams of moonlight filter through the trees and when he looks up, its luminescence baths him in power. Placing the herbs on his alter, he puts the candles at the five points, lighting them with a thought. Casting the circle, saying words that he’s known since he could talk, Bucky invites the Moon down with him.

As the power of the Blue Moon melds with Bucky, he feels the energy. Eyes closed, face turned up to the sky, and his mind clear, he doesn’t hear someone walking up on him. Sabrina sits on his feet, connecting their power and also misses the intruder. “Holy shit!”

Bucky can’t pull himself out of the near trance that he’s in, so he doesn’t realize that he’s glowing in a blue light. Sabrina, however, goes to the edge of the circle and glares at the newcomer. When the ritual finally ebbs away, Bucky comes back to himself to see the stranger just outside the circle. “Oh…”

“Man, you have to tell me what that was all about because you were glowing and shit.” Bucky can’t help himself and laughs at the stranger’s enthusiasm.

“And who are you and what are you doing on my property?” The guy looks embarrassed and starts to offer his hand, but it would cross into the circle, so he holds back.

Bucky appreciates his concern. Quick as a flash, Bucky pulls the circle down, but leaves the candles burning. “I’m Steve…Steve Rogers and I came to town to see you. Oddly, most of the people in town wouldn’t tell me anything about how to find you.”

“That’s because some people want things they shouldn’t have.” Bucky looks up and down this petite man and finds that the energy coming off of him is good, decent, kind, but Steve Rogers is also a spitfire, that much is also coming through. Nothing about him says danger though, so Bucky motions back down the trail. “Let’s go inside and talk. Since you went to all this trouble to find me, we might as well see if I can help you.”

Steve nods and follows the man back to his house. When he sees the place, he gasps. “This is incredible.”

Bucky remembers Sam saying that this man is an artist, so appreciates that he sees how special the home is. Sabrina runs in front of them and into the open door. Steve chuckles. Bucky looks over his shoulder and freezes, Steve’s sick. It wasn’t evident in the clearing because the moon’s power was still bathing him in its energy. “Steve?” The young artist looks up at him. “What’s wrong?”

Steve looks down and seems upset. “Yeah, that’s why I came to find you. My Ma told me about a witch here in Saugerties that helped her when she was pregnant with me. A woman named Winifred.”

Bucky smiles. “That’s my Mom, she’s moved on now.”

Steve looks stricken. “I’m so sorry.”

Bucky snorts. “I don’t mean died, she moved to Arizona for the dry air.” Steve looks up into Bucky’s eyes and starts to laugh, but that quickly turns into a hacking cough that sounds like it’s trying to rip the man apart. “The soup.”

He helps Steve into the kitchen, sitting him in a chair and getting some water. Kneeling in front of the man, Bucky gets his first good look at him. Even red faced from coughing, Steve Rogers is beautiful, like an angel. Steve takes the glass and drinks slowly. “Thanks.” It’s just a wheeze, but Bucky gets it. Catching his breath, Steve looks up. “What did you mean about soup?”

Jumping up, Bucky goes to the stove. “I made this today and I think it’s for you.” He dishes some into a bowl and takes it to the table. Sitting it in front of Steve, he takes the seat next to him. “Eat it.” Steve looks down at the bowl. “It doesn’t bite.”

Steve finishes two bowls of the soup and hums around each bite. “This is really good.” Bucky smiles and watches how the color comes back to Steve’s face, how his hands, with long, artist’s fingers wrap around the spoon, he looks at the slightly crooked nose, the full lips, and the eyes like the afternoon sky and knows.

He just knows.

“Steve, tell me how you found me. No one in town would have told you.” Steve looks down at the bowl and blushes.

“I don’t really know. I was walking and next thing I knew, I just knew where to go.” Bucky stands and puts the bowl in the sink. 

“That soup will clear up your lungs, but you’ll need to sleep.” He leads Steve into a guest room and gets him settled. “I’ll see you in the morning, Steve.” In the hallway, he looks down at his cat, staring accusingly. “Keep an eye on him. If he shows any signs of distress, call me.”

Sabrina blinks at him and walks into the room. Leaning against the wall, Bucky hears the artist. “Oh, hello. Are you going to keep me company?” There’s quiet meow.

Bucky wakes before the sun the following morning and goes out to check his garden. It’s coming on fall now and the tress are bearing enough fruit that he picks it daily and makes sure to give some to everyone he can think of. Natasha swears that they make the best apple pies in the world and Bucky doesn’t doubt that. Getting some of the apples, a few of the onions, and some of the spinach, he goes back in to make breakfast. Steve doesn’t come down with Sabrina until the sun is up and the baked eggs are almost done.

Sabrina is cradled against the man’s thin chest and when Bucky turns, his breath catches. He’s again hit with the force of the idea that Steve belongs here. “I woke up to something that smells amazing and my stomach started growling.”

Bucky chuckles and Sabrina jumps from Steve’s arms and runs to her bowl. Steve watches her with affection and she looks up at her witch meowing. “I know, you’re starving like you are every morning.” He puts her food down and starts to make Steve a cup of coffee. Handing it over, Steve takes a sip.

He hums. “You made it just how I like it. How did you know?” Bucky just gives a shrug and pulls breakfast from the oven. “Bucky, is everything okay?”

“Today I’m going to work on something that will repair your lungs. I’ll also do something that will sooth your cough while the repair is taking.” He doesn’t turn because for once in his life, Bucky wants something for himself that he can’t have. Steve came for help and that’s what Bucky will give him because he’s good, but he also needs to keep his distance.

“When you say repair, what do you mean?” Steve sits at the table and Sabrina climbs into his lap and he pets her absently.

“Just what I said. By the time you finish the regiment, it will be like you never had a problem.” He sits a plate in front of Steve, and goes to get one for himself. “It will take most of the day, so if you want to go back to town and come back later you can.”

“Would it be okay if I stayed here?” Bucky sits and starts eating. He nods and gives Steve a strained smile. Steve’s hair is ruffled from sleep and he looks like…home.

It’s not often that Bucky does something like a straight potion, most of the time it’s in the food he makes, but this is a special case and he goes to gather all the things he needs. Steve sits in the garden most of the day just watching him. No matter where Bucky goes or what he’s doing, he can feel Steve’s eyes on him. The potion has to steep for hours, so once that’s done, Bucky starts on the candy.

“Do you have a preferred flavor of candy you like?” Steve looks up from the sketch book he retrieved from his bag. “For the medicine in case you have trouble breathing or a cough. You’ll need it for a few weeks until the potion finishes healing you.”

Steve smiles and it’s a soft thing, barely there, but still heart stopping for the young witch. “Oh…uh…well hard candy I really like lemon, soft candy I like chocolate.”

Bucky nods and turns back to the stove. As he watches the butter, sugar and milk boil, he says words that come from his heart. It’s a precarious line that he has to tread because it would be so easy to put his own thoughts and feelings into the mixture, but this is for healing and not for Bucky’s gain. After he has it together, he pours it into a pan. “Once that cools I can cut it. You’ll only need a small piece, so you should have enough to get you through a couple of weeks.” 

Steve watches closely as Bucky drains off the healing potion later that evening. Once drained, he pours it into a small bottle. “What will it feel like after I drink it?”

“Well, that depends on how bad the damage is to your lungs. It could be anything from a mild discomfort to a burning sensation.” Looking over, he sees that Steve looks thoughtful about that. “It won’t be anything bad that you can’t handle and the discomfort or burning will settle down after a good night’s sleep.” Steve nods, but still looks unsure. “Steve, I would never hurt you. You found your way to me so that means you’re meant to be here.”

“I know you wouldn’t hurt me, Bucky. It’s just that,” He pauses like he’s looking for the right words, “doctors have been trying to help me for years and I come here and you basically tell me that you can heal me. It’s a lot to take in.”

“I understand. This potion will last for weeks, so when you get home if you decide that you don’t want to use it, just pour it out. I won’t force you.” Bucky turns back to the counter and checks the candy. It’s still too soft to cut. “This is going to take a little while longer to set, so I may have to call Sam to come and pick you up. It will be too late for you to walk back to town.”

Everything in Bucky aches at the idea of Steve leaving, but there’s a give and take to the universe. Bucky’s been taught this his whole life. He’s found someone that he wants to keep, but knows that he can’t sway another person. “Oh…I was…could I stay here tonight?”

Bucky grips the counter and closes his eyes. “Um, yeah, of course you can.” He tries to sound up beat. He knows that Steve has no idea how his calm demeanor and beauty are affecting Bucky. “I’m sure Sabrina will enjoy sharing your room again.”

Steve chuckles and grins down at the cat. “She’s very warm. I’m always cold at night.”

They eat a light dinner and then bid each other goodnight. Bucky goes to his room and showers, climbing into bed and thinking about Steve. He envies his cat because she gets to cuddle with the blond angel. Bucky spends several hours staring at the ceiling.

Sometime in the night, Bucky’s door creaks open. He doesn’t turn because he assumes it’s Sabrina wandering in. When the bed dips with more weight that his cat has, Bucky rolls over and comes face to face with Steve, looking a little shy. “Steve? Is everything okay? Are you feeling alright?” He reaches up to brush the blond’s hair away from his forehead and Steve catches his hand when Bucky realizes what he’s done.

“Tell me I’m not imagining this. Tell me that you feel this pull like I do.” There’s moonlight coming through the window and Bucky gets so lost in Steve’s eyes that all he can do is nod. “Buck, I saw you in that clearing last night and thought I’d died and had found my personal heaven. Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”

Bucky wants to laugh and cry because he wasn’t sure Steve even saw him that way. “I can’t be because you’re all the beauty in the world, Steve.”

Steve leans in, molding their lips together and Bucky’s magic flares and lights the room like a supernova. Pulling the smaller man into his lap, Steve straddles Bucky’s legs and wraps himself firmly around the witch. 

Steve sits back, looking into Bucky’s eyes. “I thought it was just me, you didn’t seem to feel what I did.”

“I’m here to help you not take something I want. There are rules and if you don’t willingly want it to happen, I can’t make it.” Steve caresses Bucky’s cheek. “I don’t want you to go, but I can’t make you stay.”

Steve rests his forehead against Bucky’s and whispers, “The second I saw you, I didn’t want to ever leave. Please let me stay, Bucky. Please don’t make me leave you.”

Magic comes in all forms. Bucky’s family are kitchen witches for generations back. Bucky considers himself a kitchen/green witch. He has more power than almost anyone else in his family, but there are certain magics that he doesn’t have dominion over because it’s too much power for one witch. One of those magics is love.

Steve brought that magic with him and gave it over to Bucky freely. Bucky Barnes is a witch. Steve Rogers is magic.


	16. Burning Love

Burning Love

“Come on, Barnes, you know you love these alarms.” Riley is officially an asshole and Bucky has no problem telling him that. “Get your gear!”

Jack Riley has been Captain of FDNY Engine 220/Ladder 122 for a short time, but he came up in this house, so he’s well respected. Bucky Barnes has been with the house for three years, he’s no longer the rookie, but Riley still rags on him because he’s Sam’s best friend. Sam Wilson is with the EMT unit that’s attached to the house and also the husband of the Captain. Bucky is screwed on most days because they love giving him a hard time. Bucky loves them both though.

What he doesn’t love is when they know a fire drill is coming at the local high school and they are the unit that will be dispatched. Granted, it’s been months since the last one and Bucky was out of town that week for his parents anniversary. He’s also aware that there’s something else going on here because Riley has put Bucky in charge of evac in a particular part of the high school. He usually lets them figure that out on the way into the building, so being told where he’ll go is unusual.

Climbing aboard the truck, he can feel Dugan’s eyes on him, who’s elbowing Jones. Yeah, something is definitely up and all of these assholes are in on it. They pull into the school and run for the main doors. Bucky goes towards the fine arts hall and as the students start out of the classrooms, he makes sure they stay as orderly as high school students can and directs them to the side door. Then he hears a deep, masculine voice. “Christ on a cracker, Elton! Leave the damn backpack. If you try to skip while we’re outside, I’ll tackle you to the ground and drag your ass back in here!”

Bucky can’t help the smile, but when he looks over where the voice is coming from and freezes, hand in mid-air and his mouth drops open. The guy is maybe 5’6 and possibly 110 pounds, but he’s got the goddamn face of an angel. Blue eyes like a bright, clear day, lips pillowy and full, sharp cheekbones that don’t give him a harsh look, but just fucking glorious. God, Bucky wants to just walk over and kiss him senseless, but instead he’s frozen to his spot.

The guy, with his hand clasped around the student’s arm, walks past him and looks up. For a split second, Bucky thinks that he freezes too, but it’s probably just his imagination. Up close, the guy is even prettier than from a distance and Bucky is sure, very sure, that he whines. Thankfully, the students are loud enough not to hear the embarrassing noise.

Unfortunately, his crew doesn’t have that problem.

“Hey Lou, you okay in there? Sounds like you might be coming down with something.” God fucking damnit, Bucky forgot about the comms they wear now.

“Yeah, a severe case of mental boner.” Jones is the asshole of the moment and Bucky tries to ignore them and get back to work.

Dugan comes back with a hardy laugh. “I’m not sure it’s really a mental one.” There’s a pause and then he adds, “Mr. Rogers just exited the building and he’s still looks like…what did you call it, Cap?”

Riley is sniggering on the other end and Bucky just wants to smack all of them. “He looks like something out of a fairy story.”

Dugan grunts and laughs again. “That’s right, you said he’s so fair even the Children of Oberon would be jealous.”

The ambulance has shown up because Sam’s voice is the next one that he hears. “Wait a minute! Is my husband looking at other men?”

“Settle down, Sam. Wait until you see this guy.” Riley chuckles and a few minutes pass.

Then Sam comes back on and Bucky wants to hang his head. “Holy Jesus, is that guy even real?”

Bucky gets the last of the kids out and finally has the freedom to speak. “Alright, you’ve all had your fun at my expense. Yes, he’s…attractive, but you’re all talking about him like he’s a piece of meat and that isn’t something I’m okay with.”

There’s a bunch of ‘awwwws’ on the other end and Bucky just hangs his head. He doesn’t know who the guy is, but he’s the prettiest thing that Bucky’s ever seen and he won’t soon forget that face.

It’s two days later and Bucky if off duty with Sam and Jones. They’re spending too much time yelling at the game on the TV screen and drinking beer. The pizza is gone and Bucky is feeling no pain having consumed the better part of a case of beer. He ends up laying across Sam and Riley’s sofa with his head in Gabe’s lap. The game goes to commercial and Sam gets up to get water for Bucky because he’s really drunk. Sam signals to Gabe, who nods. Bucky misses all of that.

“So, Barnes, have you grown a pair yet and asked that teacher out?” Bucky whines and Gabe chuckles. He can hear Sam barking a laugh in the kitchen.

“My god, he’s so pretty I could just die.” That causes both of the other men to snort. “I mean…have you ever seen anything so pretty?” His words are slurred, but they understand him just fine.

Sam comes back out with a glass of water. “Sit up you lush and drink this.” Bucky does as he’s told, but on the way up, his head starts to spin and he falls to the floor. “Jesus, you’re wasted.”

Bucky starts to giggle, hugging the leg of the coffee table. Just before he passes out, he mumbles. “I could grow old with that guy.”

Sam looks at Gabe, who raises his eyebrows. “This could be bigger than we thought.”

Weeks turn into months and Bucky doesn’t stop talking about the guy. The rest of the station is so sick of hearing about Mr. Rogers and knowing that Bucky hasn’t done anything about it. When Thanksgiving ends and the real start to the Christmas season happens, Bucky is still dreaming about the guy from the school. Any time they get a call for the high school, Bucky volunteers to go. Riley and Sam decide that it’s time to do something about that and enlist the help of everyone else. They all have to swear on whatever they hold sacred that they will not share what the crew is going to do, but if Barnes is this head over heels then it’s their duty to help.

It starts with Dugan.

Timothy Dugan is a big, burly man, but has the disposition of a puppy and as much charm. The woman in the front office smiles at him when he compliments her blouse and before she knows it, she’s taking the expensive coffee drink out the door and to the art room. On his way out of the building, he calls Sam. “It’s being delivered now.” All Tim had to do was tell the woman that Mr. Rogers had a secret admirer and she was so willing to help. Some people love that sappy romantic stuff.

Steve Rogers isn’t anyone’s idea of the perfect guy. He’s okay with that and knows that someday, if he is patient, someone will come along and see what a great guy he really is. As he gets ready for work, he dresses for casual Friday in a pair of skinny jeans and a cable knit sweater that Natasha insists makes people want to cuddle him to death. 

Steve’s not sure if her description is a good thing, but he dresses and heads to work anyway. Halfway through first period, his door opens and Ms. Shaw comes in carrying a coffee from one of the overpriced places that Steve can only afford occasionally. “Mr. Rogers, this was left for you in the front office.”

Steve takes the cup and a note. Confused he watches her leave and looks up to see his class watching him. “Get back to work. Nothing to see here.”

The kids grin, but go back to work. Steve opens the note and has to read it through a couple of times because he has to comprehends what he’s seeing.

‘I didn’t believe in angels before I saw you.’

Grinning, he looks up and finds all of his students watching him again. He waves them off and takes a drink of the coffee. It’s hot and perfect. Steve has no idea who sent this to him, but he spends the rest of the day smiling.

At lunch Natasha waylays him with questions about what she heard in the office. “So, you have an admirer.”

Steve makes a noise that is too adolescent for his years and Natasha chuckles. “I’m not sure what it was all about, but I got a really good coffee out of it.” He looks at the note again where it sits on his desk. “It’s a nice idea though.”

Natasha perches on the edge of the desk and smirks. “Maybe it’s that hot firefighter that you can’t shut up about.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Nat, get real. Guys like that don’t go for guys like me. Hell, let’s be honest, guys like that are straight and not even a little curious. Plus, he’s probably got a wife or girlfriend at home.”

Natasha gets that calculated looks that Steve always regrets later. That night they go out and he drinks entirely too much and gets much more talkative than he normally would. He spends most of the time expounding on the beauty of the firefighter and how he wants to climb him like a tree and live there.

Bucky comes out of the grocer with stuff to make roasted chicken and vegetables. It’s just him so it will be a couple of day’s worth of food. Living alone sucks, but his schedule is chaotic so it’s probably for the best. He’s looking down at his phone when he runs into someone. “Oh shit! I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”

The guy looks up and smiles. Bucky nearly drops the canvas bag because it’s the guy from the high school. He’s wearing jeans that should be illegal and a sweater that makes him look soft and in need of a good cuddle. “Hey man, that’s okay. I wasn’t paying attention either.” He says the words with his eyes down, looking up through his lashes and Bucky’s heart stops. He pats Bucky’s arm and heads into the store.

Bucky stands on the sidewalk and watches him until he can’t see him anymore. “God he’s so beautiful.” Two teenage girls giggle as they pass him.

Bucky blushes and goes on his way. When he gets home and starts prepping his meal, he thinks about what it would be like to cook for someone. And not just any someone, but a specific someone. Hanging his head, he tries to clear that thought away because there is no way that guy doesn’t have a girlfriend…or boyfriend. He’s beautiful and talented, not that Bucky’s seen any of his work, but he’d have to be talented. Someone that pretty has to be talented.

Sighing, he goes back to the food and finishes everything, putting it in the oven. Going to the window, he looks out at the early evening and wishes for things he’s not sure he’ll ever have. He also wonders how long that guy is going to haunt him before Bucky goes crazy from a _want_ that he’s never had before.

The following Tuesday, Riley heads into the building. The receptionist knows him and gets the principal, who thinks there’s a problem. Riley explains that he just wants to do a walk through. Yes, he’s aware that he’s abusing his position, but there’s a bigger issue at stake. They may give Barnes a hard time, but he’s one of the best guys that Riley has ever met and if they can get his sorry, chicken ass together with this teacher, then they’re going to do it.

He enters the art room and the man that has Bucky all twitterpated comes over. Riley offers his hand. “Captain Riley, and you are?”

Steve grins. “Steve Rogers. Is everything okay?”

“Oh certainly, I’m just doing a walkthrough. I won’t get in your way.” Steve nods and goes back to the class. He talks to them about color and perspective, showing slides of paintings and asking the students what they see. Riley just watches for a few minutes, impressed with Steve’s presence. Once Steve is absorbed in the class, Riley makes his way around the room, acting like he’s looking at windows and outlets. When he’s close enough to the teacher’s desk, he slips the small, wrapped gift behind some papers. He waves on his way out and chuckles to himself.

Steve doesn’t find the gift until the end of the day when he’s packing up. He looks around to see if there’s a clue for where it came from. He thinks about the Fire Chief, but that can’t be right. Plus, so many people come in and out of his room every day that it could have been anyone. He really hopes it’s not a student with a crush. Opening the note, his heart nearly beats out of his chest in anticipation.

‘Sometimes all we see in the world is the bad stuff, but then I think about you and all I can see is the beauty.’

Steve practically melts. He has a flash of the firefighter that day outside the market and has to shake himself. He’s tried not to think about that guy, but ended up sketching him repeatedly in his private sketchbook that Natasha gave him. Carefully opening the gift, he finds a ticket to a new exhibit he’s been wanting to see. Either the person sending these really knows Steve that well or they are very good at guessing what he likes. Tucking the ticket into his jacket, he makes his way home. 

Once there, he puts the note with the other one. Tucked inside the pages of his favorite art book. Pulling the ticket out he looks at it again. This Saturday he’ll go to the exhibit, but he really wishes that he had someone to share it with. Staring out of the window, he loses himself in the coming night. Crawling in bed later, he thinks about how good his life is, but wonders if it could get better. Stormy blue eyes are the last thing he thinks about before drifting off.

“Oh hell no! I’m not doing this!” Riley looks over at Barnes and frowns. “I’m a goddamn firefighter, Cap, not a piece of meat to be auctioned off.”

“Well, we’re doing this for a good cause and since you are the only single one of us, it has to be you.” Bucky crosses his arms over his chest. “It really is for a good cause.”

“What’s the cause? Cause if it’s not, I’m standing firm that I’m not doing it.” Riley gets that twinkle in his eyes and Bucky knows he’s screwed.

“It’s for the art department at the high school.” Yep, Bucky is definitely screwed because this means helping his angel. Okay, not his, but he’d still be helping.

“Fine! When?” Riley looks down at his calendar and Bucky wonders if there’s any way to get out of this with his dignity in tacked. Probably not, so he resigns himself to his fate at the hands of the assholes he works with. The upside is that he will probably get to see the beautiful man again.

“It’s on the 20th at 8.” Riley comes around his desk. “It’s nothing big, just you and a picnic basket and spending an evening with whoever bids the highest. And who knows, maybe it will be someone interesting and you’ll forget about that teacher.”

Bucky leaves the office. “Fat chance.” He doesn’t say it loud enough for anyone to hear. All he thinks about these days is that man. He can’t get him out of his mind and he’s been driving his friends crazy talking about him. Is he pining? Yes. Is he going to do anything about it? No, because he knows that the art teacher has a special someone. He’s sure of it.

On his way home after shift, Bucky stops in at Harrison’s to get dinner. He’s just not up to cooking tonight. Leaning on the bar, he hears laughter from the other side of the room. Glancing over, he sees _the_ guy, but he’s with a very attractive red head. Like a really attractive red head. They are leaning in close and giggling over something and Bucky’s heart sinks. Thinking it is one thing, believing it is another, but seeing it is…heartbreaking.

Getting his food, Bucky makes his way home and puts the food in the fridge. Going in to shower, he goes to bed that night and tries not to think about what he saw.

Steve makes his way home after going out with Nat. She’d insisted that they needed some down time after the week they’ve been having. He went to the exhibit the week before and it was just as breathtaking as he thought it would be. Drinks with Nat are always good for getting his mind off of other things. Things he shouldn’t allow himself to think about.

Once home, he gets a snack from the kitchen and showers quickly. Picking up his sketch pad, he starts a new one. This one is a little _more_ than the others. He saw that guy again, leaning over on the bar earlier and it won’t let him go. He imagines what the guy would look like in the blankets next to him. He stays up most of the night working on the piece.

By three he’s only going to get a few hours of sleep, but it’s worth it considering what he’s created. The guy, with sheets haphazardly draped around him, sunlight coming through Steve’s window lighting him up like a fantasy. A look of love and devotion on his face. Yeah, Steve’s got a real problem.

Friday morning it’s Gabe’s turn. Finding out where Steve Rogers lives isn’t difficult, so he makes his way to the teacher’s apartment and finds one of the downstairs neighbors every helpful. “Oh, I’m telling you, that Steve is just the nicest young man. His mother raised him right.” Gabe follows her up the stairs and she even lets him into the teacher’s apartment. Gabe feels a little weird about it, but it’s better than leaving the gift in the hallway for anyone to take. “You know, she was a single mother and just doted on that boy. He was so sick when he was little, but finally grew out of most of his ailments.” Gabe leaves the gift on the counter in the kitchen and walks the lady back downstairs. She just keeps talking and Gabe nods in all the right places. “Did you know that as hard as he works at that school, he goes to the VA on the weekends and does art therapy?” If Gabe wasn’t 100% behind this idea before, he sure as hell is now. Half the station, Gabe included, are veterans and Steve Rogers gives his time to help vets. Barnes could have fallen for anyone, but he’s fallen for a guy that’s a damn saint.

Steve arrives home and finds the gift almost immediately. Opening the note he’s a little freaked out that it’s in his apartment. Before he can read what it says, there’s a knock at the door. He’s got the gift in one hand when he opens the door. Mrs. Williams sees him holding it. “Oh Steven, I’m so glad you found the gift. The man who left it was so nice and wanted me to tell you that he was just the delivery man.”

Steve looks confused. “Who was it?”

She shakes her head a little trying to remember. “He was wearing a badge, but I don’t think he was a police officer. Maybe an EMT.” She waves her hand. “Anyway, he said that all the gifts were from the same person who saw you and thought…oh my, you’ve made quite the impression, he said that he saw you and thought you were an angel.”

Steve blushes and thanks her. Going into the living room he sits down and looks at the note and the gift. Throwing caution to the wind, he opens the note.

‘I try to get you out of my head, but no matter how hard I try, you still live there.’

Slumping back into the cushions, Steve rips into the gift and finds some of the most expensive drawing pencils on the market. He finds himself smiling and reaching for his good sketch book, the leather one that Natasha gave him for his last birthday.

Bucky dresses in the black jeans that Sam insisted that he wear and the grey cashmere sweater. Adding black boots to the outfit, Bucky looks in the mirror and nods. Okay, he may not like the idea of being auctioned off, but he looks damn good. There’s a knock on the door.

Sam looks him over and whistles. “Man, you do clean up nice.” Bucky just rolls his eyes and follows Sam out of the apartment.

The guys put together the picnic basket that will be Bucky’s offering of dinner to whoever wins the auction. “Are you sure there isn’t anyone else?”

Riley just laughs, hands him the basket and pushes him out on stage. There’s applause and wolf whistles that Bucky is sure are the guys from the station. The principal of the school is the MC for the auction and Bucky carries the basket to the end of the stage and waits.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the next person up for bid is from Engine 220, James Barnes.” There’s more shouts and catcalls and Bucky smirks. “All proceeds from this bid will go to the art department at the high school.” The bidding starts at $50, but it quickly goes up to over $500. Some of the women in the audience are a little vicious, but Bucky just smiles because it all goes to help Steve Rogers. He’s learned his name and that he helps the vets down at the center. He’s not sure how the guys found out all the information they did.

When the bidding gets to $2500, Bucky is a little taken aback. The principal calls, going once, going twice, and Bucky’s been sold. He’s not sure who won, but he goes to the edge of the stage and Riley is standing there with a grin that does not bode well for Bucky. He sees Dugan, Gabe and Sam all settling up at the table. “Riley, did you guys buy me?”

Riley stops and turns Bucky to look at him. “Do you trust me?” Bucky nods. Of course he trusts his friends, but this isn’t making any sense. “Then I want you to take that basket and go here.” He hands him a paper with a room number on it. “And remember that you are a functioning adult.”

Bucky takes the basket and heads down the hall to the room on the paper. When he opens the door, it’s the art room. Steve Rogers is standing with the same red head, who is smirking over at Bucky. She turns Steve and his eyes get huge. “Okay, Steve Rogers, this is James “Bucky” Barnes and he has been purchased for you.” Bucky narrows his eyes and knows that she’s in on this, but doesn’t know how that’s possible or why she would do this for her boyfriend.

As she leaves the room, she pats Bucky’s shoulder. “He’s very special and if you hurt him, I will kill you.”

Bucky believes her and nods. The two men stand, just staring at each other as the door closes. Finally finding his inner adult, Buck steps forward, extending his hand. “Hi, I’m…well…your girlfriend already said that.”

Steve’s eyes get wide and panicked. “She’s not…nononono…Nat is my best friend and nothing more.”

The smile that blooms across Bucky’s face is part relief, part thrilled. “Oh…well that’s…really…that’s awesome, Steve. Can I call you Steve?”

Steve chuckles. “Well I think that would be best since our friends set us up.”

Steve looks down at the basket and Bucky jolts into action. He takes the cloth out and spreads it on the floor, then puts the basket down and waves a hand. Steve sits, smiling up at Bucky. Joining Steve, he starts to unpack the food. “Are you allergic to anything?” Steve shakes his head.

“So…you’ve been sending me gifts.” Bucky looks up like a deer in headlights and suddenly, he wants to kill his friends. They’ve been plotting this and he has no idea what those assholes sent to Steve.

“Actually, no, that would be my friends that were just really tired of hearing me pine over you.” And that’s definitely more than Bucky meant to say.

There’s a sparkle of mischief in Steve’s eyes that Bucky likes very much. “Pining, huh?”

At this point all Bucky can do is sigh. “Yeah, badly. I saw you that day we did the drill and haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.” He looks over to see how that information is received and Steve is looking at him through his eye lashes again, which are so long Bucky doesn’t think they’re natural.

“Well, I guess I’m pretty damn lucky then.”

One Year Later

They sway to the gentle music wafting through their apartment and Steve’s never been so happy in his life. Bucky holds him like he’s delicate and the feeling is something that Steve’s gotten really addicted to. He never thought he’d want to be treated this way, but when Bucky does it, it’s so consuming and done out of intense love. Today was the last day before Christmas break and after work Natasha helped him change and made sure he got to city hall.

Bucky was waiting with all of the assholes that he considered family, that Steve now considers family, with the biggest, brightest smile on his face. Jesus, Steve never thought love would feel like this. With Bucky it’s all consuming and precious. The ceremony was small because that’s what they wanted and after their friends took them to a really nice restaurant where the chef prepared a cake and champagne flowed.

Now, held against the large muscled chest of his husband, Steve doesn’t think that anything will ever be better than this moment. Pulling back, Bucky smiles down at him. “Penny for your thoughts?”

Steve chuckles and reaches up to kiss this man. “I was just thinking how lucky I am to have met you.” Bucky gets down on his knees and hugs Steve around the middle. “Bucky?”

The man on the floor doesn’t looks up, just keeps his face buried in Steve’s stomach. “Steve, you have no idea. Just no idea.”

Steve gets down on the floor with him, cupping Bucky’s face and looking inquisitively at his husband. “Tell me.” He’s worried, but feels like whatever this is isn’t bad.

“When I saw you in the school the first time, the wind was knocked out of me.” Tears gather in his eyes, and Steve wipes them away. “I’d never seen anything like you. I know you don’t see it and it breaks my heart that you don’t, but you really are an angel.” Steve tries to roll his eyes and hide from the compliment. “No, now listen to me. You came into my life a year ago, but you gotta know, you’re every dream, every wish, everything I ever wanted. You’re beautiful and smart, sarcastic as hell and a little shit sometimes, but I wouldn’t trade anything because it got us here. I love you and will always love you with everything I am.” Leaning in, there’s a soft kiss. “Thank you for letting me love you.”

Steve closes his eyes at the force of the feelings he’s experiencing and Bucky lays his head against Steve’s. “I love you with everything I am too, Buck. Loving you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.” Looking up, Steve gives that evil grin. “Now, take me to bed, husband.”


	17. Come Away With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve's a very tired Captain America and Bucky is a water nymph

Come Away With Me

Steve doesn’t go to the cabin that SHIELD sent him to after coming out of the ice. They isolated him in hopes that he would acclimate quicker that way. All it did was make him feel even more separate than he already felt. This new world was too loud, too bright, too much. Mourning all that he’d lost, he couldn’t see everything he could be gaining. That’s how he finds himself back in a forest, but not the same where that cabin is. This one he picked.

After the alien invasion, after meeting and working successfully with the team, he needed to get away. This forest is somewhere in Canada and the trees feel ancient, even to Steve who also feels ancient. He wanders for days knowing that he can find his way out, whether using his photographic memory or the compass, he won’t get lost here. 

It’s been three days and he meanders further and further into the lush greens, letting his mind wander to things best left outside this wonderland of nature. Coming to a stream, he follows upstream deeper into the trees. He stops in his tracks when he reaches a waterfall. The flowing water is magnificent, but that’s not what stops him in his tracks.

Coming through the cascading water is a man. Standing in the shadow of the trees, Steve watches how he moves lightly amongst the water and rocks. His hair is down his back, wet from the water it looks deep brown. Curiously, Steve wishes he could see it dry and know what its true color is. The man’s body is lithe, like a swimmer. There’s definitely muscle tone, but it’s not like Steve’s though. His skin is pale and smooth. Where most men would have thick hair across their chest and legs, this man has none. He turns, looking up at the sky smiling and Steve sees that he has no hair anywhere, except on his head and eyebrows. His pale skin seems to glow in the light coming through the trees.

The long dormant artist in  Steve, looks at the man’s face and wishes more than anything, that he had a camera because beauty like this isn’t natural, it can’t be.  His high  cheekbones are sharp, but not in a way that’s detracting, but in a way that just adds to the attractiveness already there. His eyes sparkle and from this distance, Steve can’t tell what color they are, but he can see that they are light and filled with joy.

The man raises his arms and the water starts to dance. Sucking in a breath, Steve knows that whatever this man is, he isn’t human, not if he can control the water. A growl comes from the trees on the other side of the stream and some kind of large cat comes from the trees, followed by three smaller ones. At first Steve thinks he may have to save the man, but then the babies bound over to the man and he scoops them up while the mother drinks her fill from the stream. When she’s done, she too comes to the man and he kneels in front of her and nuzzles into her face like a greeting.

The cat family bounds back into the forest and Steve just stands mesmerized by everything he’s seeing. The man wades into the stream and before Steve can reconcile what he’s seeing, the man shimmers and becomes water himself. Sitting heavily on the ground, the super soldier keeps watch in case the man comes back. He waits for two days, but the man doesn’t return and Steve feels lost without him there.

Bucky knows the man is there, he can feel the eyes before he zeros in on where he’s standing. The man thinks that he’s hidden, but Bucky knows his forest and he knows this water even better.  Anything out of place and he’s aware. He feels the man tense when the cougars come for water and attention. The man is concerned for Bucky’s safety and that makes the nymph relax. The man is human, but there’s something different about him. It’s not magic, not what Bucky uses, but he’s definitely been changed in some way.

Turning himself into water, Bucky watches from the safety of his stream as the man sits and waits. It’s on the morning of the third day, when the man starts to pack up, making sure that he’s left nothing to disturb the forest that he looks at the water and Bucky can see the sadness on his face. The man doesn’t want to leave.

And Bucky doesn’t want him to.

Whoever this man is, he’s lovely. Tall, with muscles everywhere, blond hair that shimmers in the sunlight coming through the trees and blue eyes that seem to have a depth that Bucky isn’t used to seeing on a human. He knows that revealing himself and telling the human his name is forbidden, but Bucky very much wants to. When the man sleeps, Bucky comes out of the water and examines him. In sleep he’s so much more: soft and peaceful. Touching the man’s head, Bucky makes sure that his dreams are pleasant.

As the man packs to leave, Bucky hopes that he comes back. He watches as that broad back disappears into the trees and feels a part of  himself leave with him. Sighing into the water, Bucky puts a wish on the back of a passing trout and lets the wish be carried away. 

As the months pass, Bucky doesn’t stop thinking about the man in the forest. In fact, the man fills his daydreams and wishes. Whatever makes the man different than most  humans, also makes him different to Bucky. 

He belongs to Bucky.

Steve returns to the forest and follows his instincts to the stream. He’s dreamed about it more times than he’s dreamed about anything else and each time the man is there, smiling at him. The stream and waterfall are just the same. Steve keeps to the shadows again and hopes.

The man comes from behind the falls, skipping over the rocks and just like last time seems unbothered by his lack of clothes. Steve looks his fill and memorizes every angle and plane of the man’s body. He didn’t tell anyone about this because first, they wouldn’t believe him and second, because this is just for him. This man is just for him.

The man pauses and for a brief second Steve thinks that he knows the super soldier is there, but then continues moving through the water. There’s a smile on his face that seems knowing, but he never looks in Steve’s direction. It’s been months, but when the big cat comes through the trees again, the three that follow, who are much bigger now, are the same ones from before. Steve is sure of it. 

They all come to the man and he welcomes them into the water. The younger ones jump and play in the shallows. A few times Steve had to physically fight the urge to laugh out loud. The mother sits on the bank watching the little ones play with their friend. Steve watches the muscles in the man’s back ripple and move like the water around them.  There’s a flash of color and Steve looks up at the same time as the others.

Butterflies of intense color dip and flutter around. He doesn’t mean to, but Steve sucks in a breath at how this moment feels like magic. Several of the colorful winged creatures land on the man and he laughs brightly. The smile that spread across Steve’s face is luminescent and he lets the magic of this moment sink into his bones.

Bucky knows he’s there and has never felt such joy knowing that the man has come back. He doesn’t know how much time has passed because immortality means that time doesn’t move the same. He makes a point to put himself on display for the blond man. The cougar comes with her young ones because she always protects if she thinks there’s danger.

Once she feels Bucky’s joy at having the man back again, she relaxes and lets the little ones play. The butterflies are a surprise. They are n’t due to Bucky’s stream for several more days, but their early arrival is good. The man inhales deeply and Bucky takes pleasure in that. He knows the man likes the colorful, fluttering creatures, but it’s Bucky’s movements that are affecting him. Looking back, over his shoulder, he knows the man wants.

Bucky wants too.

He feels the reprimand from his cougar friend, but she also indulges him. When the mother leaves, Bucky moves into the deeper water and dives under. He comes up with a stone w orn from centuries of water .  Sitting  it  on the bank on the stranger’s side, he then moves away. Climbing from the water, Bucky goes through the waterfall, hiding so he can watch what happens.

The man moves out of the trees and to the bank of the stream. Picking up the stone, he examines it closely. Sitting it back down, he moves back into the trees. He stays for four days and picks up the stone each day, looking it over. Bucky wants him to take it. He left it as an offering to the blond man. 

Finally, on the fourth day, when Bucky can tell that he’s going to leave, he goes to the stone one last time. Picking it up again, the man holds it in his hand and looks at the water that Bucky melted into.  And when he pockets the stone, Bucky knows he’s found his one.

This dance between man and water nymph continues for years. They never make introductions and Steve believes that the nymph doesn’t know he’s there and Bucky keeps pretending he doesn’t know. But after years of this, the man stops coming. Bucky feels the loss like a physical ache.

Steve wants to go back to the forest and his stream. He still carries the stone with him, but after  Thanos , he just can’t let himself have that. He failed and his greatest fear is that when  Thanos snapped away half the life in the universe, that Steve’s water nymph was part of that. Out of fear of finding that to be true, Steve just can’t let himself go. Instead, for five years he blames himself and accepts his failure.

The water nymph waits, for how long he doesn’t know, but finally he lets himself grieve for the man.  His man. Bucky knows that something horrible happened because half of his fish are gone, half of his woodland creatures are gone, half of his trees are gone, half of his butterflies are gone. He can only assume that his human is gone too. This thought nearly dries the stream up because the idea that his blond Adonis disappeared too forces a level of grief from the nymph that he’s never felt before.

The other  nymphs, wood and green alike, all fear for what this catastrophe might have been. So they nurture what they have left and try to keep everything balanced. When they notice their bother nearly letting the stream die, he confides in them about his human. They question  Bucky about it and he tells them that the human accepted his offering, but now, it seems, has fallen victim to whatever has happened to take half of their world away.

The other nymphs grieve with him, but insist that he still must care for that which is his domain. Bucky heeds their warning and begins rebuilding what they have left, but it doesn’t change how his heart breaks a little more every day for the man that would have been his.

Steve returns to the forest after their defeat of  Thanos , clasping the stone in his hand all the way to the stream.  It’s evening and Steve closes his eyes and hopes beyond hope that if his nymph is back, he will grace the blond with a glimpse. The first evening, Steve sees nothing, but doesn’t give up hope. On the second day he goes into the forest and gathers flowers. Creating a circle out of them, he places the bracelet in the center. Maybe he needs to prove himself to the beautiful man, so he leaves the offering.

That evening, he moves out of the trees and closer to the water. Pulling the heater out of his pack, he places it in a circle of rocks and sits patiently. He’s waited five  years, he can wait as long as it takes.  Even if it takes weeks. He dozes next to the heater when he hears the water move. Cracking an eye open, he sees his nymph picking up the bracelet and slipping it on his wrist.

“You aren’t dead.” It’s just a whisper, but it’s also the first time that Steve’s heard him speak.

Sitting up slowly, Steve watches the man pull himself from the water and start walking over to where he’s set up his small camp. “I’m sorry. I was afraid you disappeared too and I wouldn’t come because it would have been my fault.”

The nymph doesn’t stop until he’s straddling Steve’s lap. “I waited for you.” Steve’s arms encircle the man and he’s struck by so many things at once that it’s hard to parse them out. The nymph ’ s skin is like silk is the  first, that he fits into Steve’s arms like he was made to be there is the second, and the fact that there’s an energy coming off of him is the last. The energy feels like creation and  primal physical desire.

He doesn’t let Steve speak again. Instead he leans in, capturing Steve’s lips in a kiss like old lovers, like two people that know each other intimately and have for decades. Steve hums into the kiss, pulling the nymph tighter against him. Pulling back, Steve caresses his lips across the man’s collar bone, breathing in home and safety. “Tell me your name.”

The nymph ’ s head is thrown back, eyes closed in ecstasy. “Bucky.”

Kissing under the nymphs chin, Steve hums again, never having felt this sense of belonging before. “I’m Steve. You’re a water nymph, yes?”

Bucky looks down, smiling softly. “I am and you are something that I don’t understand.” Bucky brings his hand up, cupping Steve’s cheek. “You are human, but also not.”

Steve explains how he came to b e like this and Bucky listens with rapt attention. Then he’s kissing Steve again and that energy wraps around them both. Buck pushes Steve back onto the grass, hovering over him. Steve stares up into those eyes that are so unlike anything he’s seen before. Steve has so many questions, but the only thing that comes out is, “Bucky.”

The nymph smiles at him, reaching down to undo Steve’s pants. Steve wiggles them down his thighs, but that’s as much patience that Bucky has and raises up to take Steve in. The super soldier wants to warn him not to since there’s been no prep, but when Bucky takes him into his body, there’s no resistance. Steve arches and whines desperately into the forest. “Say you’re mine, Steve. Tell me that I’m yours.”

“You are mine, you have been since I first saw you and I’m yours and will be for as long as you want me.” With that, Bucky starts moving. Pulling up, almost off,  then slamming back down. They both cry out and Steve thinks he may pass out from the feeling of his nymph. Sitting up, Steve wraps Bucky in his arms.  “So beautiful.”

Leaning back, Bucky gets Steve’s shoes and pants off. “Take me, Steve, like it was always meant to be.”

Steve rolls  them, pulling Bucky’s legs up to embrace his waist and begins a punishing pace. The nymph hangs on, clinging to Steve and crying out. Steve feels his climax coming and moves a hand to caress Bucky’s cheek. “I won’t l-leave y-you again.” Bucky’s legs tighten and his back arches off the ground. He comes across his own chest and Steve leans in to lick up his release.

Steve comes just after, screaming Bucky’s name. Steve rolls them and they stay wrapped around each other. Steve head rests just under Bucky’s chin and the nymph runs fingers through the super soldier’s hair. “Did you mean what you said?”

Steve looks up and sees the uncertainty. “I’m not leaving you again. Coming here, seeing you, it was all I could think about when I wasn’t here.”

The following kiss is tender and a promise sealed. “You filled my dreams and when I thought you were gone, my heart broke.”

“I’m not going back unless you make me leave.” 

Steve sits next to the stream, watching Bucky work his magic in the water. He’s gathered flowers from the forest and when Bucky comes to him, Steve sits him in front of his chest and starts to braid the nymph’s hair. The long tresses are chestnut when dry and Steve has an obsession with the waves and waves of soft ness. “You are very attentive to my hair.”

Steve leans forward, kissing Bucky’s shoulder. “I hope I’m attentive to all of you.” Bucky chuckles and leans forward again to let Steve finish his hair. Working the last of the flowers into the braid, Steve leans in again, kissing from Bucky’s shoulder, up his neck.  Bucky leans back and raises his chin to give Steve better access.

Standing, Steve takes his nymph’s hand, pulling him up and towards the waterfall. Bucky goes willingly, but never overlooks when he can sass Steve. “Again, my love?”

Steve doesn’t take the bait, but Bucky does hear him huff. “There is never going to be a time that there’s not going to be an again.” 

Not long after Steve told Bucky that he wasn’t leaving, the nymphs of th e forest came together. Their brother was happy again and they wanted to give him a gift that can only be given by the forest. Bucky took Steve into the water and the magic of the forest converged on them. Steve was bathed in the colors of nature and when the ritual was over, he was one with Bucky. 

They won’t grow old.

They won’t grow apart.

They are one.

It took time for Steve to get used to not having clothes, but as the years passed it just became natural. He doesn’t have power over anything in the forest, but when he stands behind Bucky, arms wrapped tightly around his nymph, Bucky’s power doubles in strength. This place is their oasis. This place is their bound hearts. 

This place is home.


	18. Every Little Thing He Does is Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magic exists in the world and Steve and Bucky find each other.

Every Little Thing He Does is Magic

Magic lives in the world, everyone knows about it. Some people go their whole lives without it touching them in any way. Others have magic appear every day and think nothing of it. Those that are the exceptionally lucky ones, have magic touch them through love. Those people are bound together in ways that normal people can’t imagine, but they try through movies, books, TV shows. 

When asked what it’s like to have love given to you through magic, the people seem at a loss for words. They end up saying that there aren’t words in any language that can describe what that connection is like. It’s frustrating to those that want to understand, scientists, psychologists, the everyday person on the street, they all want to know. The only thing that anyone has said that is even remotely helpful is, “being bound to my other half.” It sounds a little too romantic, a little too romance novel-ish.

It doesn’t stop people from trying to mimic what they hear, but you can always tell someone that actually has the soul bond connection and someone that doesn’t.

James Buchannan Barnes, Bucky to his friends, is running late and he hates being late. Instead of being one of those models that thinks they have the right to show up whenever they want, Bucky likes to be there early so that he doesn’t make the other people run around trying to get things done on time. But today, he’s late. His damn cat, who he loves more than anything, stepped on the alarm clock, effectively turning it off. In the car, he calls to let the photographer know what happened and apologizes repeatedly.

The response that he gets is surprising. “Hey, it’s okay, we had some last-minute changes to the shoot and need to block those, so if you were going to be late, today is the day.”

Relaxing back into the seat, Bucky takes a deep breath and hopes that whatever changes they are making are easy to do. Underwear shoots are hard enough as it is, but if they want him to do something difficult, it’s just going to be miserable.

Steve Rogers is sitting in the makeup chair listening to the photographer and designer talk about what the designer wants. Tony Stark talks faster than any human Steve has ever met and most of the time, Steve can’t follow what the man is saying. Steve isn’t supposed to be on this shoot because it was supposed to be a woman with James Barnes, but at the last minute the designer wanted something different. When Natasha got the call, she immediately called Steve, who just happened to be in town for the first time in months. Underwear shoots are sometimes uncomfortable because you get a female model that takes it as a challenge to see if she can turn a gay man straight.

Steve really hates that. What’s got him uptight today though is he’s seen James Barnes and the man is as close to perfect in print as anyone can get. Steve’s got a crush. He’s willing to admit it and now he’s going to be doing a shoot with the man in nothing but underwear.

The photographer comes over and thank god Steve’s worked with Clint before. “Hey, so Barnes’s cat turned his alarm off this morning and he’s running behind, so why don’t I walk you through what we’re doing.”

Steve chuckles. Barnes has a cat and that’s adorable...and Steve  needs to stop. “Yeah...yeah, sounds good.”

The photographer and a large muscled man are leaning over a table when Bucky comes careening into the room. The big, muscled guy turns around and Bucky freezes. It’s Steve Rogers,  _ the _ Steve Rogers and Bucky looks around like a deer in headlights because this is supposed to be a shoot with Madeline. He wonders if Rogers is part of the design team because the man doesn’t just model, he and Natasha Romanov work together to design and produce in the modeling world. Bucky’s not sure how he feels about Steve Rogers being in the room or possibly having his hands on Bucky during dressing.

Going straight to the makeup chair, the young woman, Wanda he thinks, is smiling kindly at him. “How are you this morning, James?”

Sitting, Bucky meets her eyes in the mirror. “I’m good if my cat would keep her paws off the alarm clock.”

Wanda chuckles and starts applying the concealer around his eyes. “My brother has a dog and I have a cat and for some reason they like to play at 5 in the morning. I haven’t slept past 6 in years.”

Bucky chuckles, relaxing into the chair when Clint Barton, the photographer comes over, sitting down next to him. “Okay, so the designer decided that they want a more LGBTQ friendly campaign, so instead of Madeline, Steve Rogers is going to be in this shoot with you.” Bucky freezes and Wanda stops with the concealer sponge. He looks at Clint in the mirror and whatever the look is, Clint and Wanda get the wrong idea. Standing, Clint puts a hand on his shoulder and Wanda steps back from the chair. “I didn’t realize this was going to be a problem for you. I’ll call Sam and see if there’s another model that can do this shoot.”

Wanda looks down at the floor and Bucky would swear that she’s disappointed. Before Clint can get too far, Bucky reaches out, grabbing his wrist. “No...no, it isn’t that.” They both looks back at the model. “I just wasn’t expecting to ever be in a shoot with someone as famous as Steve Rogers.”

Clint grins and Wanda seems relieved. “It’s not a problem, man. You had me worried for a minute.”

Once Wanda is done with his makeup, the hair guy comes over and smiles. He comments on how much he loves Bucky’s long hair and following the instructions on the call sheet, he pulls it into a messy bun with tendrils framing Bucky’s face. Just before he’s finished, the seat next to Bucky is filled. He looks up in the mirror and Steve is sitting next to him.

“Hey.” The man’s voice is so soft and alluring, that Bucky doesn’t say anything for a few seconds longer than normal.

Finally finding his voice, he smiles gently. “Hey.” His voice is just as soft as Steve’s and Bucky looks into the mirror, locking eyes with the blond.

“I’m Steve, Steve Rogers and I just wanted to say that I’m a huge fan of your work. Thanks for letting me be part of this shoot.” Bucky smiles so brightly that his eyes crinkle and his nose scrunches up.

“I should be thanking you. You’re way bigger in this industry than I am.” Steve seems to be watching every aspect of Bucky. “I’m Bucky, by the way.”

Steve tilts his head to the side, narrowing his eyes. “I thought it was James.”

Bucky smirks and winks at Steve, who goes a little red in the face. “It is, but I go by Bucky with my friends and seeing as how we’re going to be running around today in our underwear, it seems like you should call me Bucky instead of James.”

Steve throws his head back, laughing and Bucky loves the way it looks on the man. He’s just beautiful and Bucky can’t get enough of watching him. Once makeup and hair are done, they go behind their respective screens to change into not much of anything. Coming out, no one raises an eyebrow at them because this is part of the business, but Bucky only has eyes for Steve and it seems that the blond feels the same about Bucky.

Bucky wears a pair of boxer briefs in a deep charcoal grey and Steve is in a pair of briefs in the same grey color. Steve looks like Adonis and Bucky has to take a second to remind himself that this blond beauty is here for a job and not for Bucky to ogle. 

Steve looks at Bucky and all he can think of is Apollo. Bucky shines like the sun and Steve wishes that he had the nerve to ask the man to dinner, but shoots like this can be uncomfortable to begin with and Steve doesn’t want to make it awkward. But he also can’t take his eyes off the man with his hair pulled up from that long neck and eyes the color of a summer storm. Bucky has no idea how mesmerizing he is and Steve wants nothing more than to kneel at his feet, worshipful.

Clint sees the chemistry coming off the two men and knows that today is going to be a good day for the designer. He looks over at Wanda and winks. She giggles behind her hand and watches the two men, neither seem aware that they are having the same  effect on the other.

The first shots are done in a kitchen mock up, with Steve reaching for Bucky and Bucky’s hands resting on the counter behind him. No one...no one expects what happens next. Clint explains the shot and the men get on their marks. Steve walks towards Bucky, who’s looking at Steve with heat and desire. When the blond gets to the final mark, he reaches for Bucky’s hips and the warehouse fills with brilliant, blue light. Everyone freezes, but Clint, who keeps taking pictures. Later, he’ll find out that it’s the first recorded connection between two that soul bond.

Steve’s hands grasp Bucky’s hips lightly, but his thumbs hit bare skin. When that happens, Steve lights up like the fourth of July and Bucky feels like his insides are coming to life for the first time. He knows that there’s a light surrounding them, but they neither one register what it is. Bucky’s arms slide around Steve’s neck and the blond pulls the slightly smaller man against his chest. Everything in Steve is screaming to protect, to care for, to love this man with everything in his heart and soul. Bucky surrenders to the feeling of everything being right for the only time in his life. 

There’s a buzzing around them and Steve can only think and say one word. “Bucky.”

“Steve.” He’s pulled tighter against Steve’s body.

_ Months Later _

Bucky comes in from getting the mail and picking up dinner, while Steve was in a conference call with Natasha. The photo shoot from those months ago became bigger than either of the men could have anticipated, especially when Clint contacted them and told them what he’d captured on his camera. The shoot ended up being delayed a few days while Steve and Bucky sequestered themselves at Steve’s apartment. 

Their first time together had been minutes after slamming through the door and they barely made it to the bedroom. Bucky wanted to ride Steve and the blond couldn’t say no as Bucky slowly, erotically opened himself up. Straddling Steve’s powerful legs, Bucky slid down his length feeling that home wasn’t a place, but a person. Steve would forever be his home.

It wasn’t until the next day, sometimes in the afternoon, when they had to take a break from each other’s bodies to eat, that they talked about everything. They didn’t just want each other, but needed the other and somehow knew things about each other that they shouldn’t know. Bucky knew about Steve’s mother and all that she went through to give her son a good life and Steve knew that Bucky missed his family in Indiana more than he ever let on.

Clint called them later that night to tell them that he’d recorded what happened in the warehouse and sent the pictures over to Steve’s email. They were stunned to see the blue light glowing around them and the look of utter and complete devotion on the other’s face. Bucky looked up at Steve from the man’s desk chair and Steve caressed his cheek gently. “You’re everything I need.”

Bucky practically melted. “I love you and I know that’s strange and too soon, but I love you like nothin else, Steve.”

Their soul bond was recorded and Clint wanted to release the pictures.

When the pictures are released, Steve Rogers and James Barnes are asked to do every talk show on the air. Between Natasha, Steve’s business partner, and Sam, Bucky’s agent, they pick the ones that won’t be invasive. After months of doing the talk shows the men return to Steve’s apartment and don’t leave for days. Bucky moves in a week later and they’ve been together since.

Today, Steve needs to get back to work, not just in an executive way, but really get back to work. Natasha has a shoot that wants him and they’re trying to line out the details. Bucky’s become a bigger name in the modeling industry and not just because of his new status as a soul bonded individual, but the underwear campaign was huge and Bucky blew up as a star.

“Baby, is that you?” Steve comes out of the kitchen as Bucky’s phone goes off in his pocket. Pulling it out, he sees that one of the top designers wants him as their new front man.

Looking up, he can’t help but smile at Steve. “Hey you.”

Steve sweeps Bucky into his arms, pulling the love of a lifetime against him. “What’d you get for dinner?”

“I got Thai because you said you wanted it last night and we had what I wanted instead.” Bucky leans up, caressing Steve’s nose with his own. “I missed you.”

Steve kisses him like he always does, like there’s nothing more important than Bucky. “I missed you too.” Bucky sits the food on the counter and seals their lips together. Steve pulls away, grinning and Bucky knows what he’s going to say.

“You kiss me like that and we won’t eat dinner.” Bucky chuckles and looks down at his phone.

“Oh! I just got a text from Sam and Stark wants me to be the face of his new men’s wear line.” Steve picks him up and swings him around.

“Congratulations! That means you get to stay in New York!” Steve’s biggest fear has been being away from Bucky for extended periods of time. They neither one  think they’re ready for that yet.

“Steve?” The blond looks at him and if he didn’t know better, Bucky would swear that he can feel how much Steve loves  him. “I want to marry you.”

Dinner is forgotten on the counter when Steve picks Bucky up bridal style and carries him upstairs.


	19. Morningstar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is a DJ and Steve is a caller to his late night show. Only Steve's got a secret.

“I hope everyone’s out there having a good night and if you’re just joining us, Sam and I are opening the phone lines tonight for any discussion you feel like having.” Bucky looks over at his engineer and Sam gives a thumbs up that they have a call. “Who’s our first caller tonight, Sam?”

“We’ve got Tony on the line.” Sam winks at him, so Bucky knows this is a live one.

“What do you feel like talking about tonight, Tony?” Bucky ’s smooth as silk voice has been a hit in the overnight slot for years. The Station Manager wanted to move him to the coveted morning spot, but Bucky had refused, saying the overnight callers were his people. Their show was a mix of music and talk, but some night s were a little more of one and less of the other.

“I want to talk about  sucky parents.” Bucky grins because it’s clear that Tony is drinking, but not to the point of slurring his words.

“Okay, tell me about your  sucky parents, Tony, or are you the  sucky parent in question?” Tony snickers on the other end of the line and Bucky knows he’s going to like this guy.

“Dude, if I had kids I would do us all a favor and give them to someone better than me. No man, I’m talking about fathers that need to mold their kids into their own reflection.” Bucky was right, this guy is a live one. “Why can’t pa rents just accept their kids as individuals that have their own wants and needs that have nothing to do with whatever failure the father has going on?”

“I agree with you, Tony. I think parents that pressure their kids to be nothing more than a reflection of themselves are losers.” Sam smirks at Bucky, knowing that Bucky’s father had done exactly that to his son.

“I knew you’d get it! I’m an engineer, like the world’s best mechanic, and my father wants me to take over the family business and make weapons! Weapons don’t help people! Weapons kill people and I don’t  wanna do that!” Bucky shoots a look over at Sam and they both mouth the same thing at the same time,  _ ‘Tony Stark?’ _

Tony’s feud with his father has been playing out in the news for months and the man, in a slightly inebriated state, is calling Bucky’s show. “I do get it. For my father it was becoming something like an engineer and definitely not being gay.”

“Man, father’s suck, but my mom is an angel.” Bucky grins because his mom is an angel too , but under the constraints of an overbearing husband . “She keeps telling him that if he’d stop pushing me so much, I might listen to him. I  ain’t gonna do that though because nobody needs more weapons.”

“Tony, I think you’re doing the right thing. Standing up for yourself is the most important thing you can do. You can’t live someone else’s  life, you have to live your own.” Bucky starts to close the call, but decides to add, “And between you and me, you’re damn right we don’t need more weapons. We need clean air, we need better environmental laws, we need a way for everyone to have healthcare and food, but we don’t need more guns in the hands of people that shouldn’t have them.”

“DAMN STRAIGHT! Thanks man.” Tony hangs up and Bucky looks over at Sam.

“Even with a little alcohol in his system, Tony seems to have a good head on his shoulders. He’ll be alright.” Sam nods and gives  a thumbs up for another call. 

“We’ve got Steve on the line.” Sam’s brow is furrowed and that tells Bucky that Steve is interesting.

“Welcome to the show, Steve. What would you like to talk about?” There’s a sigh on the other end and Bucky props his chin in his hand. Sometimes people call in and get cold feet. Steve might be one of those.

“Hi Bucky, this is my first time listening and I found  Tony’s call thought-provoking.” Steve sounds well-spoken and sexy as hell.

“Did you have something to add to the fathers and sons debate?” Steve clears his throat and Bucky waits.

“Not so much a comment as a question.” Bucky gives a hum that he’s ready. “ At what point does ‘honor thy father’ become antiquated?”

Sam’s eyes get huge and Bucky is in a similar state. He’s about to get into a philosophical/theological discussion with a guy that sounds like something out of Bucky’s wet dream, making the guy even more attractive no matter what he looks like in real life. “Well Steve, the fourth commandment is ‘honor they father  _ and mother _ ,’ but leaving that aside, I’m guessing you have some feelings about this topic. I’d like to hear your thoughts before adding my own commentary to the discussion.”

Sam gives  another thumbs up as Steve continues. “I think what Tony said is right, that father’s have a way of trying to shape their sons into mini-versions of themselves, but to my question, honoring them stops when it become detrimental to the son.”

Bucky chuckles. “I have to agree with that, Steve. You can’t honor someone that is taking away your life choices and disrespecting you as a person.” There’s a huff on the line. “I’m going to assume that you and your father don’t see eye to eye.”

“You’ d assume correctly. He had me thrown out of…the house. I mean don’t get me wrong, I can see that if I’m not going to do what he says, when he says it, I shouldn’t be there anymore, but to ask me to bow down to my … brother .”

There’s something that Steve’s tryin g to say without saying it . “ Asking a child to bow down to anyone isn’t an acceptable solution to anything . If you don’t mind me saying so, you r father sounds like a real douche bag, Steve. ”

There’s a bark of delighted laughter on the other end of the phone. “No one that knows my father has ever called him that before. I do appreciate your candor.”  Bucky wonders if this is just the night for possible famous people to ca ll in and rag on their fathers because Steve says this like everyone knows who his father is.

“So what about your mom, Steve? Did she support you?” The response Bucky gets confuses him.

“I don’t have a mom.” There’s a pause and a quickly added, “That I know about.”

“Ah, so just you and dear ole dad.” Bucky’s still trying to figure out that last answer.

“Well, him and a bunch of siblings.” 

“I’m going to assume you aren’t living at home anymore, but did any of your siblings leave too?” Sam motions that they have another caller.

“I’m not even allowed to go home anymore and all of my siblings turned their backs on me. They didn’t want to disappoint the Big Guy.”

Bucky shakes his head at the injustice that Steve’s lived through. “ Man, that is some fucked up shit. You’re a brave man, Steve.”

There’s silence and Bucky looks over at Sam to see if Steve hung up. Sam shakes his head. Then a soft voice comes from the headset. “T hank you, Bucky.” And the line goes dead causing Sam to scramble to get the next caller up. Thoughts of Steve’s last words haunt Bucky for the rest of his shift because it sounds like no one has ever said anything nice to him before.

The next night Bucky opens the phones to anyone that wants to talk about adopting pets.  It ’s fluff, but his sister sent him a photo that day of the new dog they adopted and it got Bucky thinking about the shelters around the city. 

The night after that, he does commentary on dog people versus cat people and the phones light up. Listeners love fluff.

He’s on the phone with a man who is going off on cat people. “Cats aren’t pets, they’re little furry assholes that live in your house and think they own everything, including you!”

Bucky grins and Sam rolls his eyes. “So, I’m guessing that you’re a dog person, Elliot.”

“Oh, hell no, I’ve got three cats, but they are assholes.” Bucky can’t stop the laughter and even Sam loses it over that.

Sam signals him and mouths  _ ‘Steve. _ ’ “Well, we have a returning caller on this vicious debate on cats versus dogs. Steve, welcome back.”

“Hi Bucky.” It sounds like Steve’s smiling.

“Did you want to weigh in on this highly debated topic?” And Sam’s eyes roll again.

There’s a chuckle, making Bucky smile more. “Well, I heard your show last  night and went out today and adopted a dog and a cat, so I’m in both camps.”

“ Awww Stevie, you went out and got pets because of me?” The snort of laughter from the phone makes Bucky laugh too. “That was actually really nice.”

“That’s something I’ve never been accused of before, but after hearing you talk about your sister, I had to see what all the fuss was about.”

“And what have you discovered about the joy of owning pets?” Sam is sitting in the booth with a sign that says,  _ ‘Get a Room.’ _ __ Bucky snickers.

“Well, Elliot, your previous caller has a point. Knuckles  likes to push things from the counters and shelves.” Both men laugh at that. “And I think if the dog,  Winter , could climb, he’d do the same.”

“You named your cat Knuckles?” The low rumble of a laugh from Steve causes Bucky to flush. It’s the sexiest thing Bucky’s ever heard.

“I didn’t name him, that’s the name he had. He does remind me of an old Hollywood gangster though.”

Sam laughs enjoying the ridiculousness of this whole show . “Steve, you’re a pet parent now. How does that feel?”

“It’s not the first time I’ve been around animals, but that was a long time ago. Is it normal to talk to them because I’ve been talking to them all day?”

Bucky just smiles. “It’s very normal. You didn’t have pets as a kid?”

“Not like this. We were  sorta responsible for keeping my father’s…zoo.”

It’s not the first time that Steve has paused like that and everything in Bucky says that he’s careful about how he’s wording certain things. “ Well, whether you know it or not, you just made two animals very happy.” Sam indicates a new caller. “Steve, if you take a picture of them and send it to my email listed on the stations website, I’ll put them up.”

It’s another two days before Steve calls again and Sam gives Bucky a look. The day before, Steve did send the pictures to Bucky’s work email and Bucky did put them up on the website with the caption,  _ ‘you don’t have to choose, you can love both.’ _

Tonight, Bucky’s playing more music than he is talking with people because it was a bad day. Every time he goes to his parents for dinner, it’s a bad day. At 32, he doesn’t think he should have to listen to his father talk about the failure that he thinks Bucky’s life is, but  it’s  every damn time. He is taking requests, so occasionally, he’ll talk with someone for a minute, but Sam knows that Bucky’s going to want to take the call from Steve.

Giving the signal just as the song  ends, Bucky shakes his head that he doesn’t want to take any, when Sam holds up the white board.  _ ‘Steve’ _

Bucky sits up quickly and he swears that if Sam rolls his eyes one more time they’re going to stay that way. “That was Hotel California by the Eagles. We have a caller on the phone. Hey Steve, how are you?”

There’s a low chuckle that sends a chill down Bucky’s spine. “Hey Buck, I’ve been listening since you came on and you’re not really talking tonight.  Everything okay?”

Bucky looks up at Sam, who just shrugs and turns around in his chair. Bucky doesn’t get too personal, he’ll volunteer information, but only if it matches with the conversation being had by the listeners. Something about Steve though, he just wants to talk to him. “I’ve had better days. Went to my parents for dinner last night and had to deal with my father.”

“Ah, got it. Is that why all of the music sounds a bit haunting tonight?” It sounds like Steve really cares.

“Yeah, I guess I didn’t realize I was doing that. I’ll play something livelier.” Sam turns back around in his chair holding his hands up. He’s been trying to get Bucky to do that all n ight.  “Sam’s getting annoyed with me.”

“Oh yeah, why’s that?” There’s shuffle on the other end of the line. “Oh for crying out loud, you little shit.”

Bucky snorts. “Is there a problem, Steve?”

It takes a second, but he finally answers.  “ Yeah, Knuckles figured out how to open the cabinet with the treats and seems to be passing them out like candy. Dogs aren’t supposed to eat cat treats are they?”

Bucky can’t contain the laughter. “No, they aren’t. Explain because I have a mental picture and it can’t be accurate.”

“What the mental picture?” 

“Gangster Knuckles selling treats on a street corner wearing a fedora.” Sam lays his head on his desk, shaking it back and forth.

Steve’s bark of laughter is infectious. “Well, minus the fedora, he’s getting the treat bag out and spreading them around the floor. Winter is following him around now because Knuckles has become his dealer.”

Sam hits his speaker button and joins the conversation. “Man Steve, you  gotta stop feeding Bucky’s imagination.”

“Hello Sam and I can’t make any promises. Calling into the show has become a highlight for me.”

“And now you’re feeding his ego. Just what Barnes  needs. ” Bucky glares at Sam and Steve chuckles.

“Sam doesn’t understand the joys of having pets.” Sam turns his  mic off.

“I didn’t either until now.” Steve sighs.  “What happened with your father?”

“I got the ‘you should have gotten an engineering degree instead of wasting your life’ speech again.” Bucky runs his hands through his hair because it’s so damn easy to talk to this guy.

“I don’t think you’re wasting your life. You help people by being there every night. You help me.”

“I’m glad, now tell me something you want to hear and I’ll play it for you.” There’s that chuckle again, but it’s not pleasant.

“I don’t know much about today’s music and anything I’d want to hear you probably don’t have.”

“Try me.” Bucky really wants to know what Steve listens to.

“It’s  Been a Long, Long Time is probably my favorite.”

“Harry James…yeah, I know that one. Sam , see if we can access that.” Sam starts messing around in the booth. “My grandmother used to play that all the time. She and my granddad always danced to it.” Sam gives him  a thumbs up. “This one is just for you, Steve.” The trumpets start and Bucky leans back in his chair and just listens. It’s still a haunting song, but in a different way.

Going into the se cond week, Steve has called six times and each time Bucky finds he just wants to keep talking to this mysterious voice on the other end of the phone.  Half hour before he’s on air, Bucky’s phone rings. Looking down, he sees  Becca’s name and smiles. “Hey kid, how’s everything?”

“First of all, I’m not a kid and second, I just wanted to let you know that I met a fan of yours.” 

Bucky scrunches up his nose in concentration. “I have so many questions about how you would even know they are a fan.”

She huffs, causing Bucky to smile. “I was at the dog park with Mindy and his dog was there playing. We got to talking and he said that he’d adopted because of a radio show host.” 

Bucky’s first thought is Steve, but that would be too weird. “Oh?”

“Yeah, and he said that he’s never really had pets before until this host talked about his sister adopting.” She pauses. “Let me tell you, brother of mine, this was one fine looking man too. I asked him which show and he said yours.”

“Huh, I don’t suppose you got a name to go with this fine looking man.” She giggles.

“Steve, his name is Steve and he couldn’t say enough nice things about you.”

Bucky’s heart gives a slight flutter. “Oh…well…that’s nice.”

“Nice? Nice! Bucky, I don’t think you understand the level of hot- ness I’m talking about or the level of admiration he has for you. Who is this guy?”

Bucky leans forward resting an elbow on his knee. “He’s a guy that’s been calling in and he’s…odd, but nice.”

“Well, I’m thinking you should try and meet him.” It’s the same thing every time they talk. She pushes him to put himself out there into the dating scene, but it never works out. He knows that part of it is his father. He hates that he’s let his dad have that kind of influence, but when he tries , something doesn’t feel right. They talk for a bit longer and Bucky promises to think about it. The issue is that, without seeing Steve, he’s already attracted to the man just through is words.

On air that night, he opens a discussion that he needed to warn Sam about. “Man, this is your show, so you talk about whatever you want.”

Bucky gives his friend a thin smile. “It’s our show and I don’t want to do anything that’s going to put you in a difficult spot.”

“I’m  what’s called a straight ally, so we do this together.” He squeezes Bucky’s shoulder , goes to his booth, and counts down.

Bucky takes a deep breath and hits the button for going live. “Welcome to the show everyone, tonight we’re going to get into some serious shit. Tonight I want to talk about growing up gay and how much influence our parents have on when and how we come out.”

Sam chimes in. “Tell the audience about your experience.”

Bucky winks at him and Sam gives him that toothy grin. “ Okay Sam, just throw me to the wolves.” He laughs and Sam gives him the standard thumbs up. “I came out to my parents when I was 18 and headed off to college. I wanted the whole college experience, so even though I wasn’t leaving New York, I did move into the dorms.” He sighs. “The night before I was moving out, I sat them down and told them that I wasn’t going into engineering like my father wanted, that I was going into communications. I guess I thought they would be so focused on that and wouldn’t focus too much on what came out next. My sister was with me and held my hand through the whole thing.” Bucky grins. “You guys have heard me talk about my sister before and you know she’s my rock. I’ll never forget how silent the room got when I said, ‘oh and by the way, I’m gay.’” Sam holds up the white board with  _ ‘you  _ _ got this’  _ written on it. “My father looked straight at me and said, ‘thank god you’re moving out.’  Becca and I sat in an all night diner down the block the rest of the night and I only go home once a month for a family dinner now. It’s really just my father’s way of getting to tell me what a disappointment I am to him. He also reminds me that he’s still having the people in his church pray for my soul. ” Sam is erasing the white board and writing furiously. He holds it up  _ ‘Steve! _ ’  “We have some callers that would like to weigh in, are you there, Steve?”

“Bucky, your father is a prick!” Bucky bellows with laughter and he can see that Sam is too.

Sam clicks the button for his  mic because Bucky can ’t answer. “We like this guy!”

“We do indeed, Sam.” Bucky hears Steve snort. “Tell us what you really think, Steve.”

There’s a deep breath on the other end and a soft. “You like me, Buck?” 

“No changing the subject there, Smart Guy. Stay on topic.” Bucky didn’t mean to say it like that and if the look that Sam is giving him is any indication, the tone he used was a little too fond to be taken any other way.

“Okay, on topic, the issue that I have with people having these narrow-minded views is that they want to use the Word of God to support their position.” Bucky can tell that Steve is on a roll and is damn well going to let him have his say. “The problem with that is  this, no one really k nows what the word of god is because texts have been translated over thousands of years, by people that had an agenda. It’s used today by people that have an agenda. I can honestly tell you that I know God never put anything in his ‘Word’ that had to do with homosexuality. Why the hell do people think he gave men a prostrate and put it where he did!?”

Bucky’s looking at Sam and Sam’s looking at Bucky because Steve just stated that he knew what God was thinking. Not that Bucky really believes in God, but this is the flaw that Bucky’s been waiting for, Steve thinks he knows what God was thinking when creating humans. He does make a good point about the translations, though. “Steve, you made a statement there that’s a little out there. Unless you have some really old text that can prove what you’re saying, you can’t know what God was thinking when he handed down his ‘Word.’” The line goes dead and Sam puts another caller through.

Bucky leaves the station that night, deciding to walk instead of calling a car. There had to be something wrong with Steve, he was too perfect over the phone. No matter how hot he is, according to  Becca , he’s delusional in some way. He’s so lost in his  thoughts, it  takes longer than it should for Bucky to realize he’s being followed. Once he does, it’s too late and he’s being dragged into an alley.

“I don’t have any cash!” Bucky  is shoved against a dirty bric k wall with the assailant’s hand over his mouth . He clinches his eyes shut waiting for what happens next .

“Open your eyes, Bucky.” He knows that voice, Bucky  _ knows _ that voice . The hand comes away just as his eyes open.

“Steve?” Bucky ’s met with a vision that he doesn’t think he’ ll ever fully understand . Steve stands above him, towering over him. He’s at least 6’2”, golden blond hair, and ocean blue eyes. He’s built like a brick shithouse, but that isn’t what makes him so stunning. He’s glowing, literally glowing. Not backlit by a street lamp, but glowing from inside. Suddenly, Bucky’s not sure if Steve’s all that delusional. “Are you god?”

Steve snorts a laugh that is definitely not something god would do and Bucky has to smile because it’s such a nice thing to hear. “No, I’m not god and don’t e ver want to be. No, what I am… humans have given me a name I never earned and have resented for a very, long time.”

Bucky closes his eyes firmly, grounding himself, opens them again and asks the question that he’s not sure he’s ready to hear the answer to. “Who are you?”

There’s a shift in the air around them and the re’s a sound that Bucky associates with a sail being unfurled. His only thought is, oh shit, when he sees what unfolds behind Steve. They aren’t white, like most people believe, they appear to be black, but that could just be the darkness in the alley. 

Wings.

Steve has wings. Swallowing hard, Bucky looks up, asking for the answer to his question. Steve looks at the ground, backing away from Bucky.  “Lucifer.”

Bucky slides to the ground, hyperventilating and careening into a panic attack. Steve kneels down, but doesn’t get too close.  The wings shift as if to balance Steve’s movements.  Bucky reaches out for something and Steve takes his hand.  He’s warm and solid, so Bucky knows he’s not hallucinating.  “Y-you’re t-the d-devil?”

Steve pulls Bucky’s hand to his forehead, resting Bucky’s knuckles against his warm skin. “I’m not the devil, that’s a name humanity gave me.” It sounds like it causes him pain, physical pain.

“B-But you l-live in h-hell.” There’s a part of Bucky’s brain that’s telling him to pull his hand away, but it seems to be the only thing grounding Steve and for whatever reason, he likes that he’s keeping the  man( ?) grounded.

“I live in Brooklyn.” And Bucky’s brain just decides that a panic attack isn’t enough, so it side turns into lunacy and he starts laughing.

“Brooklyn!” Steve seems to find this amusing and starts smiling. Should Bucky think the devil looks soft when he smile s ? No, he probably shouldn’t. Bucky regains control of his dwindling mental faculties. “Okay, so you’re Lucifer, who was thrown out of heaven…oh  jesus Steve, did you really tell me you were thrown out of the house!?  Heavens not a house, Steve!”

The air shifts again and Steve’s wings fold away.  Bucky reaches out like he wants to stop them from going away. As Steve sits on the ground in front of Bucky , he hands something to Bucky . It takes a minute, but Bucky tears his eyes away from Steve’s face and looks d own at what’s in his hand. It’s a feather, inky black and shiny. Bucky runs his finger over the surface. “It was the same dynamic as a house. He bellowed his orders and we were expected to follow.” Steve can see the next question coming from Bucky and heads it off before he can get it out. “I did not refuse to serve humanity. I refused to serve Michael.”

“I don’t understand.” There’s so much that isn’t making sense and if Bucky hadn’t seen the wings, he probably would n’t believe it. And that’s when the glowing makes more sense too. Steve is a creature born in Heaven and doesn’t belong here. He’s  _ more _ than Bucky can comprehend.

“God wanted to…take a vacation.”  Bucky quirks an eyebrow. “He’d done what he wanted by creating all this and wanted to step away for awhile, so he was handing everything over to Michael and told the rest of us to treat Michael as we would treat him.” Steve stands abruptly, pacing away, hands on his hips. Turning back around, Bucky watches his movements and they don’t seem calculating, but honest. “I refused, saying that we were equal, so Michael had me thrown out. I’ve been living here ever since.”

“Well, the n who runs hell?” Steve shakes his head smiling again. A little voice in the back of Bucky’s brain starts warning him that if Steve is Lucifer, and there’s evidence for that being true, then isn’t misleading and manipulation part of his M.O.?

“There is no hell, Buck. There never has been. You die, you go to heaven. That’s always been the plan.” Buck’s mind is blown. Shit, he really is going to have to reevaluate his belief system now.

“But what about the bad people?” He probably sounds ridiculous and childlike to an all power ful being that’s eons old.

“They have to come back and try it again until they get it right, then they stay.” Coming back over, Steve kneels down again. “You made me a lot less lonely, Buck.”  Bucky looks up, making eye contact. “Your voice and snarky attitude. It was just so damn nice talking to you.” He reaches out a hand, Bucky takes it and  lets himself be drawn to his feet. “I am going to blame you for some of my possessions being broken by that damn cat though .”

“I’m going to need to hear more…about you…not the cat.” Steve doesn’t let go of his hand as they walk out of the alley.

“Yeah, I can do that.” Steve pulls them to a stop. “You aren’t afraid of me?”

“I’ve never been good  at self-preservation.” The twinkle in Bucky’s eyes is a challenge that he hopes Steve can get behind. He’s not sure he’s going to ever be able to think of this guy as Lucifer and he knows that he should be terrified by developing a friendship with Steve, but in this insane world, a voice calling into his radio show, a voice that made him happy, might be okay.

Steve barks a laugh. “I’ll have to keep an eye on your six then.”

Bucky starts walking again, pulling Steve along. “My six _ is _ one of my best assets.”


	20. Sunshine on My Shoulder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve's new to the 21st century, but loves everything, then he walks into a book store and meets Bucky. The 21st century is perfect.

Sunshine on My Shoulders

Steve Rogers was a man out of time. He knew it and dealt with it as well as he could. He had a team and they were mostly okay. He had a place to live and it was awesome. He’d learned that word from Clint and anytime he described his apartment in Brooklyn, he used that word. Awesome! So much better than his place back in the day. Granted, it was all he could afford back in the day, but still it would have fit inside the kitchen of his new place. He had enough money to go out and buy all the art supplies he could never afford before. Also, awesome. 

He was relearning the city that he grew up in with the help of JARVIS. Who, by the way, was also  awesome. He found little bakeries that he remembered from his childhood, still owned by the same families and discovered that his favorite pizza joint from back then was still open and using the same recipe as before. The 21 st century wasn’t all that bad. Yeah, he missed his friends and Peggy and Howard, but mostly it was good.

Looking up at the sky, he knew it was about to rain, so he slipped into a book store that he’d been meaning to try. A place that would have attracted him when he was a kid, but he wouldn’t have gone into because he didn’t have money for things like books to read for enjoyment. It smelled of leather, paper and faintly of ink, but under all of that was coffee. Looking around he spotted a coffee bar. Not like one of those hipster joints, which Steve avoided like the plague, but just a small cart with paper cups and wooden stirrers. He wandered into the stacks telling himself he’d come back for the coffee later.

Going into the back corner, he found first editions of some of his old favorites and new favorites. Pulling Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone down, he thumbed through it. He didn’t know why he liked them so much, but when Sam had recommended them, he’d read until he finished the series. He liked fantasy, it’s why he had liked The Wizard of Oz so much. Going back to the front of the store, he fixed that coffee and found an old leather chair to sit in.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been there when a thump came from one of the aisles. “Hello?”

He hadn’t seen anyone in the store, but since the door was unlocked, he assumed they were open. The thump happened again, as did a quiet curse. Then a head poked around the corner and what a head it was. “Oh, hi. Sorry, I didn’t know anyone had come in.” The rest of the body came around the corner and Steve was well and truly fucked. If Steve didn’t know any better, he’d think this guy wasn’t human. Most humans weren’t flawlessly beautiful.

“Hi, sorry I surprised you. I hope you don’t mind that I got a coffee.” Steve smiled because he just couldn’t not smile at the man.

“Nope, that’s what it’s there for.” He tilts his head, looking at the book that Steve has. “Potter fan, huh?”

“Yeah.” Then Steve thinks about how it might look. “I’m not just reading it, I’m going to buy it too.”

The guy chuckles. “I trust you. Enjoy.” He thumbs back towards the aisle. “I gotta get some inventory out, but yell if you need anything.” Steve smiles and the guy ducks back down the row.

He finds it hard to concentrate after that and wonders what the guy is doing, but knows getting up and lurking is probably not a good idea. He goes back to reading, but the words stop having meaning as his eyes drift back up. He can hear quiet singing coming from the row and the occasional giggle. Using all the stealth of his superhero persona, he eases to the end of the aisle and peeks around. The guy is sitting on the floor with earbuds in and thumbing through the new books. Reading here and there and giggling at the pages. It’s the cutest damn thing that Steve’s ever seen.

He goes back to the chair and just listens. Checking his watch, he knows he needs to get back or the team will send out a search party. They still don’t think he understands the ways of this evil world and worry that he’ll be taken advantage of. So, getting up, he goes to the aisle and clears his throat. “I better get going, so I need to pay.”

The guy jumps up, heading to the cash wrap. Steve pays and his book is bagged. “I hope you come back.”

“That’s a given.” Steve smiles and leaves the store.

Steve spends the next mission smiling way too much. He knows that it’s ridiculous, but he can’t stop thinking about that angelic guy at the book store. Not even knowing his name isn’t enough to stop the smiling. It starts to freak out Clint, who turns to Nat to get help. “He just keeps smiling and it’s fucking weird. Make him stop.”

She just chuckles and watches Cap do his thing with a big grin on his face. “It is weird, but I’m liking it.”

Tony, listening over the com, adds his two cents. “He’s been doing that for a week now. It is getting kind of creepy.”

“Finally! Someone gets it.” Clint takes out another rampaging robot thing.

“Could everyone focus on the job, please?” Cap sounds frustrated with his team, but still keeps smiling.

The battle ends and the team goes home to debriefings, but Cap keeps smiling. Fury looks at him like he’s lost his mind. “Cap, you wanna share with the class what has you so happy?”

Steve looks up, blushes because he has no idea what they’ve all be talking about, letting his mind wander to that oasis. “Oh…uh…” The team starts to snicker. “Can I ask a question, sir?”

“Of course.” Fury is pleased that he seems to be back on track.

“Is it possible to fall in love with someone if you don’t know their name?” The room goes eerily quiet.

“Uh…Cap…you okay man?” Clint’s not usually worried about the members of his team, but this is WEIRD.

Hill, who’s been quiet the whole meeting, turns in her chair. “I think it is. Or at least to find yourself in deep infatuation.” The whole group turns to her like she’s lost her mind. “What? He asked a question.”

Steve stands. “I really need to go.” There’s huffs of frustration and Fury calling after him and his team sitting in complete silence.

“Did anyone know that he was seeing anyone?” It’s a junior agent that asks and no one says anything, but all head are shaking a no.

Steve runs through the door of the book shop and the guy is standing on a latter putting up a display. He sees Steve and smiles so softly that Steve’s insides melt. “I didn’t think you’d come back.”

Steve goes to the ladder resting his hands on a rung, looking up into that beautiful face. “Hi, I’m Steve.”

The guy looks down at him, still smiling. “Hi Steve. I’m Bucky.”

“Bucky.” Steve says the name like a gentle caress. “I’d like to take you to dinner. If you want.”

Bucky grins now. “I want very much.” Coming down off the ladder, he steps into Steve’s personal space. “Can you wait until my shift is over? My sister will be in at 4.”

Steve looks over at the coffee cart and the chair. “Yeah, I can just…” He motions to the chair. “Wait over there?”

Bucky giggles and it’s so damned adorable. “Yeah, that would be good.” He leans up, kissing Steve on the cheek.

Steve blushes furiously. “Nice to meet you, Buck.” He goes to the cart, fixes a coffee and sits in the chair to watch. They end up talking while Bucky is up on the ladder and Steve finds out this place had belonged to his grandfather. He and his sister Becca run it now, keeping it as close to their grandfather’s vision as they can. The coffee cart is new, their idea, but the chair is the same.

Steve tells Bucky that he remembers places like this from when he was a kid. Bucky asks him to tell him about the neighborhood and how it’s changed. So, Steve talks about where things were and what has and hasn’t changed. “Where did you live?”

“Not too far from here actually. A few blocks over. My ma and I didn’t have much, but we loved this neighborhood. Everyone knew everyone else. It was nice.” Steve watches as Bucky hangs a sign above the display. “It’s why I don’t have any social media accounts. The team suggested it, but it’s seems so impersonal.”

Bucky stops and looks at him. “The shop has a Twitter account, but it’s only to keep customers in the loop. I have an Instagram because my sister has one and posts pictures of my niece and nephew.” Bucky goes back to the sign. Talking half to Steve, half to himself. “I guess since I grew up with it, I didn’t think about it being impersonal. You’ve given me something to think about.”

He notices that Steve is on his phone. Then Steve looks up and beams at him. Bucky’s phone beeps with a notification, pulling it from his pocket he sees that he has a new follower on Twitter and Instagram. “Steve? Did you just download the apps so you can follow me?”

Steve blushes again. “Maybe.”

Bucky comes down off the ladder and comes to the chair. “Are you really this nice?” Steve pulls Bucky into his lap and nuzzles into his neck.

“I really like you Bucky.” Bucky pulls his legs up and all but curls into Steve’s lap.

“I really like you too Steve.” Becca comes in just before 4, seeing the ladder, she puts her hands on her hips.

Muttering to herself, she kicks the ladder. “Goddamn brother can’t finish anything….” She turns and finds her brother, sitting in a man’s lap, making out like teenagers. “BUCKY!”

Bucky jumps and almost falls from Steve’s lap, but Steve wraps his arms around him more securely. “Becs? What’s…” Steve starts to chuckle behind him. “You’re not helping Steven.”

Steve peeks out from behind Bucky and Becca gasps. “You’re…you’re…”

Steve gives a tiny wave. “Hi, I’m Steve.”

Becca closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, then opens them again. She looks at the chair where Captain America has his arms around her brother’s waist and her brother’s obvious kiss swollen lips, smirking. “How long has this been going on?”

Bucky grabs Steve’s arm and looks down at his watch. “About 2 hours.”


	21. Calypso

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky's life is turned upside down, but he finds a place to call home with Steve.

When May Parker told Bucky that she had a house, tucked away near the water, he didn’t expect this. The small cottage sits back away from the water, but with a break in the trees so that the occupant can see where the river feeds into the ocean. It’s such an odd place to have a second home and yet here he is trying to bring sense back into his life. May and Bucky’s mother Winnie were best friends, so three years ago when Bucky’s entire family was killed by a drunk driver, he spiraled to a place that no one should have to go to. It’s taken three years to pull himself out of the dark place he went to and this is his last quiet time before he goes back into the working world. 

He never knew about his parents’ life insurance policies, so he doesn’t need to work, ever, if he doesn’t want to, but he needs something. Losing his sister was probably the hardest because she was so young. Becca had been a surprise baby, but his parents were no less thrilled about her arrival. Bucky adored her with every fiber of his being. Yeah, that was hard and probably the majority of why he lost himself. He didn’t turn to drink or  drugs; he just didn’t turn to anything. His insides died along with his family.

May warned Bucky against going into the forest, especially at night, but something about it draws him in and every day he’s been here he goes into the darkness. The canopy of trees is so thick that he starts carrying a flashlight with him, just in case. Today is no different. He got up this morning and got cleaned up, shaving for the first time since he arrived, putting on warm clothes because winter is coming, but isn’t here yet. Trapsing into the trees, the day is overcast, so he decides to make it a quick hike and not what he’s been doing. 

He’s sure his sister would laugh at him if she could hear his thoughts. There’s something magical about this place and part of Bucky doesn’t ever want to go back, he just wants to stay in this forest, at the mouth of a river. Taking a deep breath, he goes a little further in. Sometimes, depending on the way he goes, he’ll hit a little patch where the sunlight will filter through the trees and create the illusion of light dancing on the leaves resting on the forest floor. Today is supposed to rain, but the further in he goes, the clearer it seems to be.

He hears something that almost sounds like music and freezes. In the weeks that he’s been here, there’s been no one else, so to hear the tinkling of what sounds like bells is strange. As he passes by a tree that seems older than anything else in this forest, with vines twisting and turning up the trunk, what he sees in a small clearing makes him startle to a stop. In the clearing is a man or something that seems to be a man, but he has iridescent wings on his back. As they sway minutely as unconscious and natural as breathing, Bucky loses his ability to move. The light catches on the luminous quality of the wings and casts rainbows all around the man. The colors light up his skin that seems almost transparent it’s so pale. Bucky wants to touch and see if the man is real.

Bucky must move without thought and steps on fallen leaves because the man turns. He seems terrified at first, but once he gets a good look at Bucky, he smiles and everything Bucky believes to be good and pure is balled up in this man. Stepping lightly through the brush, the man keeps smiling coming towards Bucky. “Welcome friend. What clan are you with?” He tilts his head and Bucky’s charmed in a way that he can’t remember ever feeling.

“I’m...I’m Bucky and I don’t know what you mean by clan.” The man just keeps grinning and reaches out for Bucky to take his hand. It’s not a shake, not like you’d normally do with someone you just met, no, he takes Bucky’s hand and pulls him into the clearing.

“It’s okay. Sometimes we are alone out of choice.” He pulls Bucky forward and points down at the base of a tree. “I found them this morning. Look how small they are.”

Bucky tears his eyes away from the man and looks in a hollow at the base of the tree that the man is indicating. He’s not sure what kind of cats they are, but right now all Bucky can see are small, helpless kittens. “Where is the mother?”

The man, who hasn’t released Bucky’s hand looks up at him. “She’s gone for food. I told her I would watch them until she gets back.”

“Who are you?” The man is small, maybe 5’5 and if Bucky were to guess, he’d say maybe 110 pounds of soft beauty. His eyes stand out the most because they look like the sky on a clear day, but Bucky’s also drawn to his mouth, with full pink lips that seem to be in a  permanent smile. 

“Oh, that was rude of me. I’m Steven and I care for this forest. I’m surprised to see you here. Most don’t come into someone else’s protectorate.” Steven looks up at Bucky, through thick, unnaturally long lashes. “But I can forgive you, Bucky, because beauty entering beauty is always acceptable.”

Bucky feels the blush on his face rush down his chest and all the way to his toes. “You think...you think I’m beautiful?”

Steve reaches up, touching Bucky’s forehead and drawing his finger down his cheek. “I think you’re the most beautiful nymph I’ve ever seen.”

Yeah, Bucky’s not sure what’s happening, but he’s sunk the minute Steven touches him. His finger is warm and delicate and sets everything in Bucky on fire, but he pauses at what the man just said. “Is that what you are? A nymph?” Bucky looks at the wings up close and really wants to touch them.

“Well, of course not. Don’t you recognize a fairy when you see one?” Steven lets go of his hand and goes to the other side of the clearing. He stands in the light coming through the trees and glows. His face is turned up and Bucky can’t believe this is real. For a second, he questions if maybe he’s finally gone crazy. “Can you feel the goodness here?”

Bucky steps over, touching Steven’s shoulder and feeling how real he is. Steven looks over, head lowered, looking at Bucky through those eyelashes and Bucky’s breath catches in his throat. The wings on his back, wrap around his shoulders, sitting atop Bucky’s hand. It feels like being touched by a butterfly and Bucky’s an entranced by everything that’s happening. “I can feel only goodness.”

Steven turns, staring up into Bucky’s face. “You have the most beautiful eyes, Bucky. Like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

“You keep calling me beautiful and I’m going to start to believe you.” Steven laughs, delighted at Bucky’s response, and the bells from earlier sound again. “Where is that sound coming from?”

Steven blushes. “Oh, that’s me. Sorry, I can’t seem to control it when I’m happy.”

“Are you always happy?” Steven nods and blushes. Whatever spell this fairy is putting on Bucky, he’s willingly letting it take him over. “You’re very beautiful too. I didn’t know something as pretty as you actually existed.”

“Tell me, Bucky, would you like to spend the day with me?” Steven offers his hand and Bucky takes it smiling. The quiet bells ring again and that makes Bucky’s smile grow. He’s making Steven happy. They wait in the small clearing until the mother returns for her kittens and once she’s in the hollow with them, Steven pulls Bucky along.

“How much of the forest do you care for?” Steven finds nuts and berries that are ready to eat and feeds Bucky a feast for lunch. Bucky also shares some of the food in his pack, it isn’t much, but enough that Steven gets to try things he’s never had before. They’re just walking now, but Steven never releases his hand and Bucky doesn’t want him to.

“As much as the mothers instruct.” Confused, the taller man looks over. “Being a lone nymph isn’t good for you. If you have no connection to your mothers either, you must be very lonely.”

“Steven...I’m not...I’m not a nymph. I’m a human.” Steven snorts with laughter, the bells from earlier ringing through the trees, and Bucky stops to watch and try to convey that he’s serious.

“Oh Bucky, that’s really funny, but there are no humans that look like you. You have to be a wood nymph or an elf.” Bucky hangs his head, knowing that Steven doesn’t and probably won’t believe him. “Come, you can rest with me until the sun goes down.”

He pulls Bucky into a cavern and it’s only then that Bucky realizes how late it actually is. “I should probably go home. I don’t want to invade your...” Bucky stops at what he sees in the cavern. There’s a nest of different materials, some moss, some feathers, but over all of it is a quilt and a second one to cover with. “Did you make these quilts?”

Steven blushes and sit on the bedding. “No, there’s a woman that lives close to the forest. She left them for me.” Bucky thinks about May warning about the forest. She knew and cautioned Bucky.

“May? May Parker?” Steven nods and lays down, pulling at Bucky’s hand.

“Steven, I...” The fairy frowns up and releases Bucky’s hand.

“I’m sorry, I just thought...you know...you liked me.” Bucky kneels down, cupping Steven’s cheek gently.

“I do like you, so much, but you don’t have to...do this.” Jumping back up, Steven helps Bucky take his boots off and pulls him into the warmth of the bedding.

“I’ve never shared my home with anyone. You are the first that I’ve wanted to bring here. Will you stay with me, Bucky?” Bucky hovers over the pale man, whose wings spread behind him almost disappearing into the colors of the quilt.

“Yes, god yes, I want to stay here with you.” For the first time since his family died, Bucky feels like he could belong here. He could belong here with Steven. 

The kisses they share a feather light until Steven pulls Bucky on top of him and then things turn heated. There’s a quality in Steven that sets everything in Bucky on fire, it’s like an innocence, but with an ageless wisdom. The white robe that Steven is wearing drops away and Bucky sees the most perfect creature he’s ever seen. Steven’s skin is pale everywhere, but he’s strong and pulls Bucky where he wants him. The brunet goes willingly and kisses every part of the gorgeous creature that he can reach. “Stay with me, Buck. Stay with me forever.”

As Bucky nuzzles between Steven’s thighs, he breathes in the forest and rain storms. “Yes, I’ll stay with you as long as you’ll have me.” Engulfing Steven in his mouth, the fairy arches from the bedding, crying out Bucky’s name. Nothing has ever sounded better than when Steve screams it in ecstasy. The bells keep ringing around them and Bucky knows that as long as he can hear them, Steven is happy.

All of it comes to a halt though, when Bucky stands to undress. The more he removes, the wider Steven’s eyes get. Backing into the cavern wall, pulling the quilt over him, Steven looks frightened. “You...you...you’re human.”

Bucky stops and sits heavily on the ground, looking over at the fairy. “I told you I was.” Seeing how those blue, blue eyes have turned from loving to horror, Bucky stands, putting his clothing back on and heads to the entrance of the cavern. “I’m guessing this isn’t okay. I’ll never tell anyone about you Steven.” He looks out at the night sky and feels the heaviness return. Whatever this dream was, it’s over now and Bucky needs to go find whatever life he can. “I’m sorry.” Walking away from Steven feels like walking away from a miracle and a blessing all rolled into one. He was honestly willing to give up whatever life was going to give him and stay with Steven. 

He’s halfway back to the little clearing where he met Steven, when a strong grip on his arm stops him in his tracks. Bucky turns to see Steven looking at him pleadingly. “Bucky?”

Bucky mistakes the pleading look for something it isn’t. “I meant what I said. I’d never tell anyone and put you in danger.” He tries to turn, but Steven clings to him.

“How can you be human?” Bucky huffs and looks at the ground.

“Right now, I wish I wasn’t. I never felt connected to anyone like this before.” Steven’s face gets a soft smile.

“You made me feel really good, Buck.” Bucky feels himself tearing up and doesn’t want to spoil this man’s world with his pitiful crying. Steven sees them track down his cheek and reaches up to wipe them away as his wings unfurl from his back. “Stay with me?” He’s so unsure, but they’re the best words that Bucky’s ever heard.

Sweeping the smaller man into his arms, he crushes him against his chest. Bucky doesn’t know what this is or if he’ll wake tomorrow and it will have all been a dream, but he’s going to enjoy it for now. “Yeah, I’ll stay with you.”

Dragging him back to the cavern, Steven doesn’t say anything, he just undresses Bucky once they arrive, staring intently at the skin that’s revealed. “So much hair.” Bucky chuckles and Steven keeps working. “That’s how I knew. Fairies and nymphs don’t have hair like this, which you already figured out considering...well...you know.”

“Yeah, I know...now.” Once all of his clothes are on the ground, Bucky pulls Steven against him and unties the robe he’s wearing. It falls to the ground and there’s a sharp intake of breath from one or both of them. “You’re so warm.” Steven’s hands glide over Bucky’s skin leaving heat in their wake. “So beautiful.”

The peace lasts for nearly two weeks. Steven goes back to Bucky’s cottage and is enthralled by everything Bucky shows him. They gather Bucky’s clothes and anything he keeps as personal and  irreplaceable . Mostly, pictures of his family.

Back in the cavern, Steve runs his finger over the faces of Bucky’s family. “They’re gone...like...like dead?” Bucky nods and clears his throat. Steven didn’t know them, but he tears up and comes to Bucky throwing himself into the bigger man’s arms. “You have me now. I know I’m not them, but I’ll be everything I can.”

“You already are everything.” Living with Steven means seeing a side of the forest that Bucky’s never dreamed of. The animals treat Steven like a friend and because Bucky is with him, they treat him that way too. The first time the mother lynx brought the babies to him, still very much unsteady on their little paws, Bucky sat in the clearing and played with them for hours.

But it’s at the end of the second week that their peace is shattered. Returning to the cavern after a day of what Bucky can only describe as magic, they freeze at an intruder. When she turns, Steven bows low, but Bucky just stares at her in awe. She’s the  most regal being he’s ever seen and she smiles at Steven adoringly. “Steven.”

He runs to  her; wings unfurled in joy and is wrapped in a hug. “Mother.”

She turns to Bucky with an arm still wrapped around her son. “And you are?”

“I’m Bucky and I’m betting you’re here to run me off, ma’am.” She seems pleased and amused by his words. “That or you’re going to kill me so I don’t tell anyone about you.” That seems to surprise her.

Steven’s jaw drops and looks up at the woman. “You aren’t...you wouldn’t...would you?”

Smiling indulgently at Steven, she turns back to Bucky. “And why should I not take your life for the life of my son?” She notices that Bucky doesn’t seem to be willing to fight her, he just seems resigned to what he thinks she’s here to do.

Steven starts to protest, but she shushes him. Bucky looks at his...he doesn’t know what to call Steven, except his life, his very heart. Such a short amount of time and the magical being has taken Bucky body and soul. He doesn’t take his eyes off of Steven. “Because I would never do anything to harm him or let any harm come to him. I would put my life up for his willingly.”

Steven blushes, but doesn’t break eye contact with his human. “And I would do the same for him.”

“Your aunts will have something to say about this, I’m sure, but if you are willing to promise your life to my son, then I must take you at your word.” She releases Steven and he runs back into Bucky’s arms. They fit so perfectly against each other and Bucky buries his nose in the fairy’s hair. “You love him.”

Bucky looks up, knowing she’s talking to him. “I do.”

“You do?” Steven looks up at him and his wings flutter in anticipation. 

“Of course, I do. How could I not love you?” They lose themselves in the other’s eyes until Steven’s mother clears her throat.

Blushing they look over. “Well, then he will have to see your aunts.” She’s still looking critically at Bucky, but can’t deny how her son looks at the man.

In the weeks that Bucky’s been with Steven, he’s never seen him actually fly, but when they arrive at the ‘court,’ he sees Steven’s feet lift from the ground in excitement to see his family. The Mother, because that’s all that Bucky knows to call her, explained that she is the mother of all of the faire folk, which he can believe considering how she looks. Steven’s aunts have dominion over other magical creatures including the nymphs, elves, and to Bucky’s incredulous surprise, unicorns. 

Bucky stands frozen in the large clearing, deep in the forest. He is not prepared for everything he’s seeing. Looking around, he tries not to stare, but these are creatures of mythology and yet, here they are mingling around each other. Steven has flown over and is nuzzling a unicorn and Bucky’s dizzy with the implications of everything present. Once Steven’s greeted everyone, Bucky is once again standing with an armful of blond, perfect fairy.

“Don’t let them upset you, my love.” Bucky looks down and smiles so softly that the whole clearing freezes to watch. “They are my family and they can be yours too.”

One of the aunts comes over. She’s as beautiful as she is terrifying. “You are the human that has trapped my favorite nephew into your web of human deceit.” Steven stands in front of Bucky and bows up to her.

“Natalia, you will speak to him with respect or I’ll...” She quirks an eyebrow at Steven in question. He narrows his eyes and Bucky watches fascinated as he starts to glow. “Or I’ll make sure the next time your warriors go out the forest gives them as much trouble as a hurricane.” Steven seems to grow a foot and become broader than the trees.

Natalia hugs him close and laughs. “I needed to see how serious you are about this, little one.”

Steven huffs at the ‘little one’ comment, but smiles up at Bucky. “He’s the one. So many  millennia and I’ve finally found him.”

Steven’s mother gains everyone’s attention and they gather around. “My son has decided that he wants to keep this human as his own. We have not had this in many, many years. For this man to stay with my son, he has to prove himself to this clan.”

Steven’s mother turns when someone breaks through the trees. “Virginia, I finally found the troublemaker and have brought him...” She sees what’s happening and freezes. Coming over, she examines Bucky. “Well, my nephew has an eye for beauty and always has, but this is something else entirely.”

Steven leans in, kissing his aunt. “He is more lovely than all of the forest.” Turning to Bucky, Steven leans in, kissing him chastely. “Bucky, this is my Aunt Pietro, she’s the keeper of the unicorns.”

Bucky bows to her. “I’m honored.” 

Pietro pats Bucky’s chest and grins at Steven. “You are most definitely keeping this one.” Running to the four chairs, Pietro kisses the other aunt that Bucky hasn’t met. He finds out later that she’s called Wanda and has dominion over the nymphs in the forest.

There’s dinner and talking, but Bucky only has eyes for the blond leaning into his side. When dinner is over, he whispers, “What is this about?”

“Oh, so for you to stay here with me, you have to change.” Bucky looks confused and Steven reaches up and rubs the frown lines on his brow away. “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt.”

Bucky shakes his head even more confused. “Steven, what do you mean, change?”

“Oh, you have to become magic.” Someone plops down beside Bucky and doesn’t give the human a chance to really understand what Steven is saying.

“So, are you what all humans look like or are you just special?” The creature has horns and sparkling brown eyes and Bucky is a little concerned considering this is the one that Pietro called the troublemaker.

“I’m normal, I  guess .” Bucky looks for help, but Steven just smirks.

“He’s not normal. He pretty enough to fool me into thinking he was a wood nymph like you, Anthony.” Bickering starts between the two and Bucky looks over and catches Virginia’s eye.

She nods and Bucky gets up to go to her. “You have questions.”

“Yes ma’am. Steven says that I have to change and I’m not sure what that means.” Bucky looks at the ground and soon has a unicorn nuzzling at his shoulder. Reaching up, he wraps an arm under the  unicorn's head and pats the opposite cheek.

Bucky isn’t aware that the clearing has stopped all talking. Virginia looks at him smiling. “Bucky, you are already magic in some way or that,” She indicates the unicorn, “would not happen.”

“Is this something that I have to do if I want to be with Steven?” Virginia looks over at her son and he’s watching with great curiosity.

“Steven could leave the forest, be stripped of his life here and go with you, if he so chooses. Would you ask him to do that?” She looks at him calculating.

Bucky turns and looks at his beautiful Steven. Wings flared out and ready to rush in and save Bucky from an awkward situation. Smiling he turns back. “No, I wouldn’t ask that of him. What do I need to do?” She seems pleased at that.

They arrive back at the cavern in the early hours of the morning. So early, in fact, that the sun is starting to peek through the trees. As they undress and crawl into the bed, Bucky pulls Steven against him and sighs contently at the warmth of his little fairy. “Buck?”

“Yeah Stevie?” Steven sighs too and snuggles closer, reaching up to stroke the horns now protruding from Bucky’s head.

“You didn’t  hafta do that. I’d have loved you anyway.” Bucky kisses the top of that soft, blonde hair.

“I know you would have, but now I can stay and your family will be more comfortable.” Steven looks up, smiling and Bucky leans in to kiss lips that he’s completely addicted to now.

Steven grins. “You’re still beautiful.” Bucky rolls on top of his love and if anyone passes by the cavern, there’s no mistaking the noises coming from inside.

Bucky moves through the trees, missing Steve, but also knowing his new life means new responsibilities. Pietro, who Bucky learned quickly was born male, but took on the role of one of the Mothers because she felt in her heart that she was meant to be female. Bucky respects her for the strength to be who she is and because she was one of his biggest supporters given the unicorns’ affinity for him, so the new nymph works with her keeping the magical creatures safe.

Bucky moves through the trees looking for the young foul that got lost a few days ago. He seems to be able to sense them. Pietro watches him moving through the trees like Bucky knows where he’s going, but also distracted. “You seem deep in thought today, nephew.”

Looking up, the new nymph gives a weak smile. “I’m missing Stevie.” Pietro smiles and pats his arm.

“Love is like this, yes?” Bucky nods and keeps moving through the trees. “Do you know where you’re going or are you just wandering?”

Bucky laughs and looks around. “I’m not sure, but something feels right about this path.” They make their way through the trees and into a clearing with the winter sun streaming through the trees making everything looks magical. Lying in the snow is the young unicorn. “There you are.”

Going over, Bucky pats her head and lets the young one  nuzzle into his hand. “You are very good at this.” Pietro kneels next to them, moving a hand over the unicorn’s body. “She is unharmed.” Standing she looks around. “We need to get her back to the herd.”

Bucky reaches under the pure, white beast, lifting her. These things are effortless now because with magic comes strength that is new. “Come on, beautiful, let’s get you home.” 

Making their way back through the forest, Bucky starts to feel excitement that isn’t his own. That’s something new that he had to get used to. Being part of these clans means he feels them all, but always Steven first. The excitement is coming from the one that chose him, so when they arrive back at the clearing, Steven is waiting. Sitting the unicorn down so she can join her herd, Steven runs to him, throwing himself into Bucky’s arms. “I missed you.”

Pietro smiles. “And our newest nymph missed you too, nephew. He was quite melancholy today.”

Steven smiles, blushing at Bucky. “You think you’ll keep me then?”

“Always.”


	22. Lil' Red Riding Hood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky finds a 'dog' on his morning run, then weird things start to happen.

“Come running with me, he said. It’ll be fun, he said! Running should only be done if you’re being chased.” Bucky listens to the pounding of his feet on the pavement and frowns deeper. After coming back from Afghanistan, he’s been in a bad place. The last thing he wanted to do was go to therapy groups, but he’s done it and that’s how he met Sam. The man is snarky as shit, but he drew Bucky out of his shell and that was good. Then he’d gotten Bucky into a new prosthetics trial and helped Bucky get used to the new arm. High tech shit, but Bucky loved the new arm. He gets weird looks, but those don’t bother him.

What bothers him is when Sam shows up at his apartment at some ungodly hour and drags his ass out of bed and makes him run.

Looking down at his watch and rolls his eyes because it’s just past 6:30 and he’s been on the trails for over an hour. “This is some seriously fucked up shit.” He left Sam in his wake as soon as they started because if he has to be out here, Bucky’s going to get it done an over with. They have a set  amount of miles they run and if Bucky gets them done, he can go get coffee and a donut. 

Stopping suddenly, he hears something in the brush. There it is again, and Bucky makes his way over to the underbrush. Pulling back a branch, he sees a golden dog, pulling back into the brush seeming scared. “Hey buddy, what’s the matter?” Bucky kneels down, holding out his hand, so the dog can smell him. “I’m not  gonna hurt you.” He keeps his voice calm and soft. “You okay?” The dog gets a good sniff and belly crawls out of the bushes. When he stands, he favors his left front paw. “AWWW, it’s okay. You need some help?”

There’s a whimper and suddenly the dogs head is against Bucky’s palm. “That’s a good boy.” Bucky starts to scratch his head and the dog’s tail starts to give a lazy wag. “Yes, you’re just a good boy.” The dog is either a mutt or some kind of breed that Bucky doesn’t recognize, but he’s beautiful with long golden fur, thicker around his shoulders and neck. He limps out of the brushes and Bucky sees that he’s really not putting weight on his left paw. “You need some help.” Bucky stands a looks around and yelps when he feels the dogs nose pushing into his crotch. “Oh...whoa there, man. That’s personal.” The dog sits on his haunches and looks up at Bucky with his tongue hanging out. Bucky would swear that the dog is laughing at him.

Bucky watches how he tries to put weight on his paw, but then pulls it back up. “Okay, let’s get you out of here and maybe to a vet.” The dog tries to follow him, but whimpers in pain and can’t get too far. “Let me help?” Kneeling back down, Bucky picks the dog up, putting him around his shoulders and the furball gives a yip and settles in around Bucky’s neck. “You weigh more than you look.” 

He finds Sam at the head of the trail, hands on his hips, grinning at Bucky. Then he gets a look at the dog and his eyes go wide. “Look Sam! I found a dog!”

Sam backs away. “That’s a fucking wolf, Barnes!”

Bucky looks up and the dog/wolf yips again and licks his face. “Wolf, my ass. He’s just a dog and he’s hurt. Look up a vet that’s close by.”

“Barnes man, that’s a wolf! You can’t...he’s going to...” Sam would keep talking, but Bucky reaches up, scratching the wolf’s neck and the animal seems to just melt into the touch. He does seem to be smaller than the average wolf, but Sam knows he’s not crazy.

The vet looks at the ‘dog’ on the exam table and backs away and Sam looks entirely too smug. “Mr. Barnes, you said you found him on the jogging trail?” Bucky sits on the exam table next to his new buddy and nods. The ‘dog’s’ head is on Bucky’s lap and he’s scratching behind its ear. “That, Mr. Barnes, is not a dog. That is a wolf.”

Bucky looks down at the animal and it looks up at him, lifting its head and lolling out his tongue. “Doc, I don’t know about that. He seems too friendly to be a wolf and isn’t he a bit small.” The wolf huffs and looks at Bucky critically. “He’s judging me.”

Sam shakes his head. “ Of course he’s judging you. You’re the only idiot in the room that doesn’t know you ran into the woods and came out with a wolf!”

The vet eases over, holding out his hand for the wolf to smell him. “He does seem a little friendlier than I’d expect.” The vet wants to do x-rays and Bucky has to go with his new buddy because the wolf won’t settle until Bucky is standing next to him. They also check him for a chip, but there isn’t one. So, once his paw has been wrapped and the vet hands over an antibiotic cream to put on the injury, Bucky takes the wolf home with him.

Sam grumbles all the way to the apartment. “I can’t believe you’re going to put a wolf in your apartment. Damn thing will probably piss all over the damn place. Just try getting your security deposit back after that.”

“For  godsakes , Sam, let it alone. I can’t let him go if he’s hurt.” They get inside and the wolf limps around, sniffing everything. “Do I feed a wolf dog food?”

The wolf looks up and Bucky would swear that he’s frowning. Sam huffs. “How the fuck should I know what you feed a wolf? Squirrels maybe...small children possibly.”

The wolf looks over at Sam and both men could swear that he’s lifting an eyebrow. “He’s not amused with you, Samuel.”

Heading to the door, Sam calls over his shoulder, “When he starts trying to eat you, don’t call me! I have better things to do than save your sorry ass from being eaten.” He’s gone after that and the wolf comes over to Bucky.

Bucky kneels down and the wolf puts his forehead against Bucky’s. Bucky scratches down the wolf’s sides. “You wouldn’t eat me, would you?” He puts a call in for groceries to be delivered and the wolf lays in a chair and watches the man intently. “The food will be here in about 30 minutes, so I’m going to go shower.”

Pulling the curtain aside after finishing in the shower, Bucky reaches out for his towel and finds the bathroom door wide open and the wolf sitting in the doorway, watching. “You’re kinda a voyeur, aren’t you?” 

The wolf takes a tentative step into the bathroom, nosing at the towel on the counter. Bucky grabs it and wraps it around himself. “Were you guarding me? Is that it?” He gets a quiet ‘woof’ from that and the wolf turns around, limping back into the living room. Bucky follows him and is startled by a knock at the door. Dripping from the shower and in nothing but the towel, Bucky heads for the door, but the wolf steps in front of him. “That’s our groceries, buddy.” 

The wolf looks unamused at Bucky’s face, then back down at the towel. “Oh, I see how it is, you’re trying to protect my modesty.” Reaching down, he ruffles the wolf’s fur. “You should know that I have no modesty.”

Day three and the wolf, that Bucky now just calls Buddy, has made himself at home. He sleeps, much to Bucky’s amusement, on the bed with Bucky, furry head on the pillow and under the blankets. When Bucky wakes in the morning, Buddy yawns and then licks his face in greeting. What Bucky finds so strange is that the golden wolf has blue eyes. He looked it up on the internet and found that his new friend is smaller than the average wolf, golden is not a normal color for the fur, at least not the level of golden that Buddy has and blue eyes are unusual. It’s not unheard of, but definitely not normal. 

Bucky wonders if Buddy wandered into the city because his pack threw him out. That thought upsets him because this furry guy is about the best companion that Bucky’s ever had. He finds himself talking to him all the time. Working from home makes it easy to really bond to the wolf and when Sam asked if Bucky was going to release him, Bucky looked over at Buddy and could swear that the wolf looked sad at that.

That’s another thing, Bucky is convinced that Buddy understands everything that’s happening around him. When Bucky dropped a cup of water on the floor, Buddy went for the hand towel. When Bucky couldn’t find his fuzzy socks, Buddy went and found them in the closet. The wolf understands, but, of course, when Bucky tries to tell Sam how smart the wolf is, Sam just calls him pathetic and laughs.

And it’s all manner of little things: Bucky’s towel, that he forgot in the linen closet, suddenly sitting on the counter in the bathroom, Bucky not able to find a certain  flashdrive and it appearing out of nowhere, the remote for the TV disappearing when Bucky wants to veg on the sofa, but really needs to be working on his manuscript. Buddy just seems to know how to take care of him.

Waking four days after bringing the wolf home, Buddy is already awake, staring at Bucky, but not making a sound. “Hey Sweetheart, are you waiting for me to wake up?” Reaching over, he rubs the wolf’s cheek and leans in to kiss his snout. Buddy nuzzles into the pets, putting his furry head under Bucky’s chin and snuggles into the man’s body. “Aww, you’re such a good boy.” He feels a lick across his collar bone and chuckles. Sitting up, Bucky looks back at the wolf wallowing in the blankets. “Come on you crazy overgrown dog, it’s time for breakfast.”

Buddy jumps from the bed and heads down the hallway to the kitchen. “If you could learn to make coffee, I’d marry you!” Bucky doesn’t see the wolf freeze in the kitchen doorway and look back at the bedroom door. When he comes around the corner, Buddy stands there just looking at him. “Okay, okay, I’m coming.”

The following morning, Bucky wakes to the smell of coffee and is convinced that Sam’s in his kitchen. “That asshole needs to stop using the key I gave him for emergencies.” Throwing the covers back, he shuffles into the kitchen, but finds that Sam isn’t there. “What the hell?”

The coffee is ready, warming in the carafe. He turns to see Buddy sitting in the doorway of the kitchen, watching Bucky’s reaction. “How did...” He goes for his phone, texting Sam. The response he gets makes it even more of a puzzle.

_ ‘I am still sleeping asshole! Why would I come to yours and make you coffee when I haven’t even had my  _ _ own. _ _ ’ _

He looks at Buddy again. “Did you learn to make coffee?” The wolf ‘woofs’ at him and Bucky chuckles because dogs can’t make coffee, even if they really are exceptionally smart wolves. Getting a mug, he pours the coffee, sipping it as he goes into the living room to boot up his computer. Buddy looks over his shoulder at his human and huffs.

The weirdness continues two days later when Bucky has to go out to meet his editor and promises Buddy that he’ll be home by 5 to make dinner. When he isn’t home by five, he wishes that he had an answering machine at home so he could call Buddy and tell him not to panic. Stopping in his tracks, Bucky realizes how ridiculous that sounds. Chuckling to himself, he catches a cab instead of the subway. He just doesn’t want to deal with all the people and the cramped, often smelly, subway. When he walks in the door, close to 6:30, he smells...dinner.

Rounding the corner to the kitchen, Buddy is laying on the floor, staring up at Bucky through sad, blue eyes. On the stove is a roasted chicken and potatoes with winter vegetables. He looks around for a note from Sam, but there is nothing. He considers calling Sam, but knows that if it was Sam, there would be a note or a text with some snarky comment. No, there’s something else going on.

Going to the wolf, Bucky sits on the floor facing off against the animal that’s become his best friend. If anyone walks in, they’re going to think that Bucky is crazy, but something is happening here and right now the wolf is looking at him so sad. “I’m sorry I was late. My editor wouldn’t shut up.” He looks up at the stove. “Did you do this for me?”

Buddy’s head comes off the floor followed by his body. He leans the top of his head against Bucky’s chest. “Bud, I’m going to ask you this and I think I’m crazy, but I’m  gonna ask it anyway.” The wolf pulls back, looking deep into Bucky’s eyes. “Who are you?”

Bucky watches as the wolf morphs into a human form, naked as the day he was born, small and frail looking, but with the same beautiful blue eyes. Bucky wants to jump back, scream maybe, like a normal person, but he’s looking at the delicate features of this man on his kitchen floor and kind of getting lost in how pretty he is. Tilting his head to the side, the man looks at him and, in a voice much deeper than Bucky imagined, he says, “The more appropriate question would be, what am I.”

Steve, because the wolf’s name is apparently Steve and not Buddy, stands in the kitchen, dishing up dinner while wearing a pair of Bucky’s  pj pants and a t-shirt that’s hanging off his shoulders. “You did a nice thing taking me to the vet that day, Bucky. I can’t really thank you for that, so I tried to be the best houseguest I could be while I healed.”

Bucky just keeps getting distracted by the shoulder that’s come out of the shirt and has to mentally kick himself to stay on topic. “Oh...uh...I couldn’t just leave an anim. ..you ...out there.” Putting his face in his hands. “Listen  Bu,... fuck...Steve, I’m not really sure what’s happening. You were a wolf and now you’re a human and I think I’ve gone crazy.”

Steve sits the  warmed up plate in front of Bucky and sits across from him with his own. “Well, most people would have run from the apartment screaming and you didn’t, so I’m counting that as a win.” Steve starts eating and occasionally looking up at Bucky.

Bucky just keeps watching him and the golden fur makes sense now, considering the color of Steve’s hair and the eyes are the same, but now, now Bucky’s looking at sharp cheekbones, plush lips and eyelashes that would make his sister  jealous. He’s looking at long slender fingers, wrapped around a fork and that shoulder that’s peeking out from the shirt, which is just begging to be caressed and kissed. Bucky shakes his head. “Tell me, Steve, is your only power turning into a wolf or can you influence people too?”

Steve looks up, grinning cheekily, and winking at Bucky. “It’s just the wolf thing. I’m not a witch, Buck.”

Now, Bucky has to deal with the fact that he’s feeling this pull to Steve that’s insanely strong and no one to blame that on. “Okay...okay...so...wait! Witches?”

Steve sniggers into his hand and his eyes sparkle at Bucky like light bouncing off of a diamond. “Jesus, you should see your face. No Bucky, there aren’t witches...that I know of.” There’s the wink again.

“So, you’re an asshole. Good to know.” He smirks over at Steve. “I liked you better as a wolf.” They eat in silence that Bucky understands now why Steve’s wolf was so small. Bucky’s confused and distracted mind can’t get over how much of a  twink Steve is, but he has a power in him that seems to be so much bigger than his body.

As the evening progresses, Bucky finds out that Steve is a born wolf, a shapeshifter. He found out that it’s not like being a werewolf, it’s just two sides of who Steve is, but as a wolf, he’s still Steve. He finds out that Steve was hurt in the park that day after he went on a run and some asshole was trying to hit him with a stick and got Steve’s paw in the process. He learns that Steve is an artist that lives a few blocks away, but as long as he was hurt, it was easier to stay in wolf form. Bucky has very little he needs to tell Steve about himself because Bucky talked to him all the time. The more the blond talks, the more Bucky wants to know about him. 

After dinner, Bucky cleans up the kitchen and watches Steve looks around his apartment from a new vantage point. “I guess I need to head home.”

Bucky spins away from the sink quickly, drying his hands and going into the living room. “Or you could stay here tonight. I mean, it’s late and you don’t really have to leave if you don’t want to, which I guess you probably do since you haven’t been home in a while. I’ll get you a jack...”

Steve cuts him off with a hand over Bucky’s mouth. “I’d like to stay here tonight if that’s really okay.”

Bucky finds himself nodding and looking into those beautiful, blue eyes and wondering what he did good in another life to bring Steve into his life now. Bucky wakes during the night and finds Steve climbing into bed with him. He’d offered his bed, but Steve had refused and taken the sofa, but sometime around 2, he’s pulling the covers back and crawling into the bed he’s been sleeping in, as a wolf, for a week. “Steve?”

“It’s cold, Buck. You don’t mind, do you?” Because he doesn’t think or because he’s half asleep, Bucky opens his arms and Steve cuddles up against his side. Without much thought, he leans down and kisses the top of Steve’s head. The smaller man hums and snuggles in closer. Bucky wakes in the morning thinking that it must have been a dream because Steve is gone.

Sitting up, he hopes that the man didn’t leave, but that thought is chased away when the bedroom door opens and Steve comes in carrying two mugs of coffee. “Hey.” Bucky’s mesmerized by Steve in the morning. His hair is wild, sticking up all over his head, his eyes are sleepy and half-lidded, he’s got an adorable pout on his lips because he obviously isn’t as much of a morning person as his wolf self.

“Hey Buck.” He slides back into the bed and hands Bucky his coffee. Leaning against the headboard, Bucky pauses because of how easy it all feels.

“I woke up and you were gone, I was afraid you left.” Bucky knows how he felt last night warm with Steve next to him, but he doesn’t know how Steve feels.

Until...

“I seem to remember you telling me you’d marry me if I learned to make you coffee.”


	23. This Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve feels old when he meets a younger Bucky.

Steve hates bars. He’s always hated them. They were  places the men and women went, in his time, to mingle, drink, dance, and do all of those things that he couldn’t. Or, truthfully, felt awkward doing, so he didn’t waste his money. But here he is, in a bar.

It isn’t that Steve is afraid of Natasha, it’s just that she’s so pushy that sometimes it’s just easier to do what she wants instead of listening to her tell him, again, everything that he’s doing wrong with his life. It could be worse, it could just be the two of them, but tonight, Sam, Clint, and Tony agreed to come along. At least Tony will be good for a laugh or two.

They seat themselves in a large booth at the back of the bar near the pool table, hoping to avoid any fans. Steve’s had about enough of people thinking they own a part of him and is really exhausted by how many people think they know everything about him. Hell, his team doesn’t even know everything about him.

The waitress brings over the drinks and doesn’t even bat an eye. Steve lets himself relax just a little when she doesn’t make a big deal. Tony starts in on a story and Steve’s paying attention at first, but then he hears something over his left shoulder that’s more interesting than whatever Stark is talking about. Whoever they are, they’re young, but that doesn’t change the conviction in their voice.

“Listen, you’re saying socialist ideas like it’s something bad. You are believing the party line right now, pal. Socialist isn’t a communist. A socialist society just believes that everyone is equal and there’s a fair distribution of wealth.” There’s a snort. “The only reason you don’t like the word is because you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth and you don’t want anyone taking that away.”

There’s a huff and Steve glances over his shoulder, but can’t really see the two that are talking. “Barnes, you’re a grade A asshole.”

The other voice barks a laugh. “You knew that before you started this conversation.” There’s a rustling sound, like someone is getting a pat on the back. “Now, let’s play some pool and talk about universal healthcare.” Several other voices groan and Steve chuckles. That’s a conversation that he wants to be part of, instead he’s sitting here and Tony is still talking.

He knows that Natasha and Sam know that he’s not paying attention, but it seems to be Clint that knows exactly what has him distracted. “Hey Cap, why don’t you get the next round?”

Steve quirks an eyebrow at him, but catches on quickly enough. Standing, he points at each of his friends. “Everyone want the same?” He gets nods and then Natasha launches into a story and Steve goes to the bar. Once the order is placed, he turns to looks back at the pool tables. And that, is Steve Rogers first mistake.

There is a man, no this is a kid, but he’s, jesus, Steve’s mind goes off line. The kid is beautiful in a way that men aren’t supposed to be. He’s got the biggest eyes that Steve’s ever seen and he’s laughing. His nose scrunches up as he laughs and Steve can’t help the chuckle that comes out of him at how cute it is. He’s still got some of that adolescent baby chubbiness around his face, but Steve can see where sharp cheekbones will someday be more pronounced. But the kid’s mouth is like something out of one of the magazines that Steve drew discreetly for when he didn’t have any other way to make money.

“Holy shit.” No one around Steve hears him because bars are always too noisy. But his reaction to this kid is not something Steve was expecting to have tonight.

A woman near him turns, seeing him, she smiles seductively, but Steve’s mind is on the kid. “Can I buy you a drink, Captain?”

Steve doesn’t even spare her a glance and walks away with the drinks. “No.” All the way back to the table, he’s still looking at this kid. He’s lean, like a swimmer, but there’s definite muscle tone. Someday this kid is going to be a complete knockout. Now, he’s like something out of a fantasy story he’s so damned pretty. He halfway expects to see gossamer wings coming out of this kid’s back. And Steve Rogers wants to talk to him. Steve Rogers wants to just sit and looks at him. Steve Rogers is starting to feel like a creepy old man.

Sitting back at the table, Steve wishes he was on the other side, so he could keep watching the gorgeous boy. He knows he shouldn’t be looking because the kids got to be at least ten years younger than Steve, probably more, but he is in a bar. So, maybe he isn’t as young as he looks, but this kid doesn’t look like he even needs to shave yet. Okay, Steve is now officially creeped out by himself. Focusing on the conversation at his table, he tries to tune out what’s happening at the pool table. 

The minutes tick by and Sam finally gets up. “I have to go. I’ve got an early group tomorrow morning.”

Tony blows a  raspberry at him. “Stop trying to be a grown up.” 

“Contrary to what you believe, we are all grown-ups.” Sam hugs Steve and heads out the door. 

Tony looks down at his phone and suddenly jumps up. “Pepper got home early. Gotta go.” 

“No way, Stark. You aren’t driving anywhere.” Natasha stands, grabbing the keys out of Tony’s hand. “You gentlemen have a good night while I get this child home to his mother.”

Tony tries to look offended, but is more interested in getting out of the bar. Once they’re gone, Clint turns to Steve with a sly grin. “Cap, you  wanna tell me what happened to you over at the bar?”

“Not really, no.” Clint chuckles and bumps Steve’s elbow. “Don’t tell anyone, okay? I’m not really ready to deal with that.” Steve just stares down at his hands, chasing the condensation down the side of the glass.

“None of my business, but I will be honest, as a straight man, that kid is...”

“Beautiful.” Steve nods, and as much as he wants to, he doesn’t turn around to look. “Yeah, but you see how young he is. That’s not something I think I can do.”

“He’s at least 21.” Blowing out a breath, Steve knows that Clint is right, but it still feels wrong.

“Yeah, probably just turned 21. I’m about to turn 32, Clint.” Clint shakes his head, laughing.

“Talking to the kid isn’t doing anything wrong. Maybe he’ll say something so stupid that it will turn you off.” Steve hadn’t thought about it that way and while he’s weighing the consequences of his actions, he hears the kid again.

“Okay, that’s it. I refuse to play pool with a heathen that doesn’t know the difference between a Monet and a Manet.” And Steve’s out of his seat before his brain catches up to what he’s doing.

“I think I can carry that conversation. I actually saw a few of both painters during the war.” The group of young men freeze, but the kid,  _ the _ kid, smiles and hands him a cue.

“Good, you can tell me about what you saw and these cretins can go chase the girls they’ve been watching all night.” He looks at his friends. “Go, just go and do what you’re going to do.” The others head away and the kid calls after them. “But remember, no means no!”

Steve’s chuckling when he turns back around, raises an eyebrow and looks down at the table. “What?” Steve can’t help grinning because this kid is either so drunk that he doesn’t realize who Steve is, or he just doesn’t care. 

Smirking the kid looks at the table again. “Somehow I expected you to take advantage of my turned back and break before we could call it.” He pulls a coin out of the pocket of his painted on jeans, tossing it in the air. “Call it.”

“Heads.” Steve can’t be offended by the kid's words because the grin tells the super soldier that the kid is messing with him. He really doesn’t care that Captain America is playing pool with him. And that makes the blond like him even more.

“Must be something with that serum of yours ‘cause I haven’t lost a coin toss since middle school.” Steve takes the opening because he just has to know.

“And how long ago was middle school for you...”

The kid snorts into his beer. He offers his hand and Steve takes it to shake. “Bucky, well it’s really James, but everyone calls me Bucky.” Steve grins even wider because Bucky fits this kid. “And middle school was a little while ago.” Buck racks the balls and waves for Steve to break. “And to clarify, I’m 22 and just about to finish my second master’s degree, so relax, you aren’t doing anything wrong.”

Steve gets a quirked eyebrow and frowns in response. Then it occurs to him that he didn’t introduce himself. “I’m Steve, by the way. It’s nice to meet you, Bucky.” Then, with his eyes still on Bucky, he breaks. Three of the stripes go into two different pockets.

“You’re a ringer!” They both laugh while Steve lines up his next shot. “If I play up my age and say you’re taking advantage of me, would you buy it?”

Steve looks up from his shot, grinning. “Not even a little bit.”

“Damn, guess I shouldn’t have come across so confident.” Steve takes his shot and stands, leaning on his cue.

“Do you have any other state besides confident?” Bucky looks down at the table and realizes that Steve missed the shot and walks around to Steve’s side of the table, edging the blond out of his way with a hip bump. Steve steps aside and watches as the kid bends over the table, and his mouth goes dry. He’s willing to bet that there isn’t an inch of this kid that isn’t smooth and gorgeous.

“I’ve been known to be shy in certain situations.” He makes the first shot and then runs the table. Steve just watches him and can’t feel  competitive because Bucky’s having such a good time.

After the round of pool, Bucky looks down at his watch, not his phone and Steve has to respect him for that, and shakes his head. “What’s up, Buck?”

The kid blushes, but doesn’t acknowledge that he’s doing it. “I’ve got an early class and should get home to bed.” 

It’s Steve’s turn to blush because he can picture that, but shouldn’t be picturing that. Miles of pale skin, twisted in white linen, smirking up at Steve. Yeah, he definitely shouldn’t be picturing that. “I should be headed out too. I can give you a ride if you want. That is, if you don’t mind motorcycles.” The kid looks up and Steve has a moment where he thinks Bucky might be misunderstanding what Steve means. He raises his hands, in defense. “I’m not suggesting anything, I just...I mean...”

Bucky grins and pulls Steve’s hands down. “I know what you mean. I was just surprised you are being so nice to someone that wiped the floor with you in pool.”

“ Oh, is that how it is?” Steve’s eyes sparkle at how much fun this kid is.

“Oh, that’s how it is.” Bucky grabs Steve’s arm and steers him out of the bar. They get to the vintage bike and Bucky has to stop to admire it. “Holy shit! I’ve only seen pictures of this monster. How the hell do you have a 1950 Vincent Black Shadow? And more than that, how have you not died on this thing?”

Steve bellows with laughter. “Tony is convinced they designed this thing with a super soldier in mind and gave it to me for my birthday last year.” Steve turns to him, looking concerned. “If you don’t feel safe, I can call you a car.”

“Are you planning on going at top speed on this?” Steve shakes his head vehemently. “Then I trust you to get me home safe.”

Steve does get him home safe and sound. Bucky climbs off the back, handing the helmet to Steve. “Thanks for the game of pool, Bucky.”

“Thanks for being exactly what I imagined you would be.” Steve tilts his head in question. “Normal with no ego in sight.”

“Thanks for letting me be normal. It doesn’t happen often.” Bucky smiles and Steve just damn near melts at how soft and kind it is. Leaning in, Bucky kisses his cheek. 

“Let me see your phone.” Steve hands it over without thought. “Shit, do you have anything like  an everyday guy on the street. This is a Stark phone, but nothing like I’ve ever seen.”

“Yeah, that’s just for the team. Tony is very proud of it.” Bucky’s tapping the screen and hands the phone back.

“He should be proud of taking care of the team. And now you have my number. If you ever want to lose at pool again, text me.” Turning, Bucky heads up the stairs to the door of his building.

Steve looks after him,  gobsmacked at the jab. “You are a grade A asshole.”

Bucky turns at the door, smirking. “It’s been said. More than once tonight even.” Steve’s still laughing when the door closes. He shoots off a quick text to the new number in his phone.

_ ‘Now you have my number and you can use it to apologize for picking on an old man.’ _

_ ‘Didn’t see any old men tonight. Just you.’ _

Steve likes this kid. Really, really likes this kid.

Two days later, sitting in a briefing for an upcoming mission, Steve’s phone buzzes in his pocket. He looks around the table, but no one on the team is on their phone. He has no idea who could be texting because everyone he knows is in this room. Then, the lightbulb goes off and he’s struggling to get the phone out without anyone knowing. It doesn’t work and at least four sets of eyes are on him, covertly. Sure enough, it’s a text from the kid. Steve’s definitely got to stop thinking of Bucky that way.

_ ‘You give a guy your number and then don’t text. Should I get my feelings hurt over this?’ _

Steve grins and then tries to cover, but the kick from Clint under the table tells him it wasn’t quick enough. Steve sighs and knows that he shouldn’t answer in a meeting, but he really doesn’t want Bucky to think he forgot about him. Truth is, Bucky is about 98% of what Steve thinks about.

_ ‘You should never get your feelings hurt. I’m in a briefing. Give me 20 and I’ll text you back.’ _

_ ‘Aye, aye, Capin.’  _

Steve snorts at that, then looks up to see all eyes in the room are on him. “Sorry.”

When the briefing ends, Steve is up and out of the room, but not before several on the team try to stop him. Clint runs interference and Steve is able to make it to the elevator alone. Stepping in, Steve hits the call button because he doesn’t have a lot of time before he’s going to be caught. He likes Bucky, but he’s restricting himself to a possible friendship. 

“Hey Steve, is the meeting over?” Steve just smiles because just hearing the kid’s voice is enough to take away any stress. And that’s more dangerous than any missions he has to go on.

“Yeah, I’m on my way to suit up, so I thought I’d call and apologize for not texting. I wasn’t sure...I guess I thought...I just that...”

Instead of laughing at Steve’s fumbling, like the blond expects, Bucky signs and breaks into his rambling. “Steve, hey, it’s okay. I was just teasing. Not that I wasn’t disappointed, but it’s okay. I know you’re busy.” Steve’s shoulders relax with that. “So, on your way out of town, huh?”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t know when I’ll be back. It could be a long one.” That makes Steve sadder than it should.

“Well, if you have any down time, you could text. I could keep you entertained. I’ve got classes here and there, but mostly I’m working on my thesis.” 

“Yeah, I would like that. Maybe when I get back, we can get lunch or something. You know, just to talk.” Why this kid  makes him so nervous, Steve isn’t sure or he is and that makes him more nervous.

“Steve, are you sure that all you want is to talk?” Something about Bucky’s voice makes Steve pause. He’s not challenging  Steve; he seems to be asking a legitimate question.

Steve leans against the elevator wall. “Honestly kid, I don’t know. But it has to be cause I’m too old or your too young for what I’ve been thinking about.”

“Ah, okay, so a friend is what you need.” The statement sits like lead in Steve’s gut, but Bucky doesn’t sound upset. “We can do friendship. You’re a smart guy and I’m a smart guy and we have plenty to talk about. So, would you like to be my friend, Steve Rogers?”

Steve chuckles and the transition  is so easy. Bucky makes it so easy. “Yeah, I’d really like to be your friend, Bucky Barnes.”

“Alright, day or night, you get some extra time, you text me. And I mean that. Sometimes I’m up at all hours working on this thesis. So, no excuses, Mister, contact me if you can.”

Steve chuckles as the doors open and the team is standing there, waiting. Clint gives a shoulder shrug like, ‘I tried, man.’ “I’ll talk to you soon.” Disconnecting the call, he looks up at the team innocently. “What?”

Natasha makes a grab for his phone and Steve glares. “Who are you talking to that’s more important that the briefing?”

She makes another grab and Steve turns to face all of them. “I’m going to say this only once and you will respect that. Who I’m friends with, is none of your  business. Who I talk to outside this team, is none of your business. Whatever life I have outside this job, is none of your business. Let it go.” He gets grins from three people: Clint, Sam, and Bruce. The others seem less than happy.

The mission is long, but there is down time because of surveillance and planning. During those times, Steve does text with Bucky, leaving Natasha and Tony truly beside themselves with wonder and curiosity. Sam just keeps smiling and Clint quirks a smile every now and then, those are more directed at the frustration of Natasha and Tony. Sam may not know who Steve is talking to, but he’s just happy that Steve’s found something that makes him happy. Clint knows exactly who Steve is talking to and that’s a secret he’ll keep for as long as Cap needs him to and Bruce just likes seeing his friend happy. And Steve is happy, in fact, talking to Bucky makes him happier than he’s ever been in his life.

On the way home from the mission, nearly three weeks later, Steve has learned so much about the young man that has become his friend. He’s found him funny, like hysterically funny, he’s found him to be smarter than any other 22-year-old that Steve’s ever met, he’s found him to be insightful to the point of Steve questioning Bucky’s age. As they exit the jet, Steve heads to debrief that he really wishes he could skip, so he could go home and sleep.

A few minutes before landing, he’d sent a text telling Bucky that he was home, so it isn’t a surprise when his phone starts to ring. The one thing that Steve does know, the joy he feels when he sees Bucky’s name on the screen, shouldn’t make him as happy as it does. This isn’t about friendship anymore, Steve’s gotten himself in deep.

“Hey, what are you still doing up? You have,” He looks around at the other faces, being much too interested in this conversation and doesn’t want them to know any more than he’s willing to tell them right now, “a commitment in the  morning .”

There’s a chuckle on the other end. “So, I’m guessing the others are around.”

“Yeah, yeah that’s the problem.” There’s another chuckle. “So again, why are you still up? It’s nearly 4:30.”

“My friend is home from a dangerous mission, you can’t blame me for wanting to hear your voice to make sure you’re really okay.” That warms Steve in a way that it shouldn’t for friends. “Are you really as okay as you sound?”

Steve looks down at the floor, blushing and trying not to let that settle inside of him, in that nice, warm place that no one has been in. “Yeah, I really am okay. Not a scratch.” The doors open and the team doesn’t move until Clint starts ushering them out to give Steve the privacy that he wants. Once they are all out, he sighs. “You should really go to bed.”

“I will. I just wanted to check in.” Bucky’s voice is like a  balm that soothes everything inside the super soldier. “You’ll call me when you get up, yeah?”

“As soon as my feet hit the floor.” They say their goodbyes and Steve enters the briefing room. All eyes are on him. “What?”

Tony huffs and rolls his eyes. “Whoever you have on the other end of that phone, that I can’t hack because of my own genius, you need to keep them, Cap.”

Steve sits down between Clint and Sam, and both men smile at him. Yeah, Steve plans on keeping Bucky for as long as the man will let him. As soon as the young man figures out how Steve feels about him, that friendship will be over though. Clint sees the change and leans in. “Whatever just went through your head, let that go.” It’s just a whisper and Steve nods.

When Steve finally wakes up, later that night, it’s nearly 9. Grabbing his phone on the way to the bathroom, he sees that he’s got numerous texts and several voicemails from Bucky. He’s standing at the toilet when he puts it on speaker and starts the first voicemail.

_ ‘Hey, I'm going to make it to class late, but I’m glad I got to hear your voice early this morning and know that you were okay. Get some sleep and I’ll talk to you soon.’ _

The second voicemail is timestamped three hours later.

_ ‘Just got out of class and a meeting with my advisor. I’ll be glad when this is over and I can stop stressing. Hope you’re sleep well.’ _

By the sound of it, Bucky must have been walking somewhere because Steve could hear traffic in the background. He finishes his business and goes to wash his hands and brush his teeth. The next voicemail starts.

_ ‘Hey...uh...Steve, listen...’  _ There’s noise in the background that can’t be what Steve thinks it is.  _ ‘Somethings happened...Steve...I can’t...oh god...just want you to know...shit...I love you, Steve...’ _

The voicemail stops and Steve knows what he just heard. Gun fire and by the sound of Bucky’s voicemail, he was in the middle of it. For the first time, since before the serum, Steve feels his chest close up. He sinks to the floor, grabbing at the phone. The last text sent must have been right after the last voicemail.

_ ‘I meant  _ _ it; _ _ I love you. Know you don’t want it because I’m so young, but thank you for letting me quietly fall in love with you.’ _

It’s a goodbye, very clearly a goodbye. Pulling himself up, he storms into the bedroom. “JARVIS, I need you to find someone for me. This is Priority Alpha, JARVIS.” He gets the small chime that comes with a Priority Alpha command. “Find James Barnes, 22, graduate student at Columbia.”

It’s only seconds, but feels like forever. “James Buchannan Barnes, admitted to Columbia University Medical Center with three gunshot wounds.” JARVIS continues to ramble off information that Steve will never remember, even with a photographic memory, while the super soldier dresses faster than he’s ever put clothes on. “Sir, shall I call you a car?”

“JARVIS, I need something with speed, sirens and lights. We got anything like that?” Steve’s headed for the lift and JARVIS makes sure it’s waiting.

“We do indeed, sir. I’ll have it ready for you in the garage.”

The medical staff in the ER freezes when Captain America comes in at a dead run. Going to the nurse's station, he tries to be as polite as possible. They try the whole, ‘we can’t give that information if you aren’t family,’ so Steve does the only thing he can.

“Ma’am, I know you have rules, but Bucky...James, is my...fiancé. I have to see him! Please?” Her face melts and Steve  knows he’s going to get what he needs.

That’s how he finds himself sitting next to Bucky’s bed in the ICU. The doctor came in and Steve is sure that not only did he want to inform the ‘family’ of Bucky’s condition, he wanted to see if it was really Captain America. He also knows that pictures are going to be leaked because he heard the fake shutter sound of several phones. “Come on, Buck, you have to come out of this. I need you to tell me who did this, so I can find them.” Leaning in, he kisses Bucky’s hand and whispers. “I love you too, by the way. I shouldn’t, you’re so young, but god, I really do.”

It surprises Steve, even though it shouldn’t, when the ICU doors open and Tony walks in with Bruce. “Alright, let’s see what we have.” Tony takes the chart from the end of Bucky’s bed and starts thumbing through it, then he hands it to Bruce. “I don’t know what any of that means. Figure that out, would you, Bruce?”

Steve doesn’t let go of Bucky, but does stand, in protective mode. “Tony? What the hell are you doing here?”

Tony looks at the kid in the bed. “Well Cap, JARVIS informed me what happened and I came to see if I can help. I mean, not with the medical stuff, not exactly, that’s what I have Bruce here for, but with the...you know...whatever else you might need.”

Bruce looks up at Steve, still holding the chart. “He’s lucky. He coded on the way here and when they had him in surgery.”

Steve pales and leans over the bed. He feels lightheaded and shaky. Tony rushes over, helping him to sit. “Okay, big guy, you need to stay seated.” He glares over at Bruce, who looks apologetic.

“Cap. ..Steve , I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it like that. I just mean, he must be really strong.” Steve nods and goes back to looking at Bucky. “Who is he?”

Tony looks very curious about that and watches Steve reach over, brushing brunet waves out of the kid’s face. “He’s the man I’m going to marry someday, if he’ll have me.”

Tony and Bruce both stand stunned.

“Oh, for crying out loud! I can walk you know!” Steve carries Bucky from the sofa to the bedroom.

“Not on my watch, you won’t.” Bucky just shakes his head and lays it in the crook of Steve’s shoulder. “You’re going to heal completely and then we can talk about whether or not you’re allowed to walk.”

“Allowed? Allowed? Steven, I think you’ve let your position go to your head.” Steve lays him in the bed and goes to get water, so Bucky can take his meds.

When he comes back, he stops in the doorway and leans on the doorframe. Bucky is fluffing the pillow on Steve’s side of the bed to get it just the way Steve likes it. It’s been three months since Bucky was shot and Steve’s not taking any chances. He brought Bucky to the Tower when he was released from the hospital, under the guise of taking care of him through his recovery. Steve just didn’t let him leave when he was able and Bucky didn’t seem to be in any hurry either. The kid is still the most beautiful thing Steve’s ever seen, with his big eyes, perfect mouth, which Steve has had the pleasure of kissing. It’s an addiction and Steve has let it take over his life. Nothing better to be addicted to than Bucky Barnes.

Bucky looks up and smiles and everything in Steve settles into the warm place that’s become a constant. “I love you, Bucky.”

Holding out his arms, Steve comes to the bed and puts the glass on Bucky’s side of the table, and lets himself be folded into an embrace. The hug says so much more than just holding each other. It says home and acceptance. “I love you too, Steve.” Pulling away, Bucky looks at the blond. “What’s going on?”

Steve reaches up, caressing Bucky’s cheek. The young man leans into the contact. “When I saw you that night, in the bar, I couldn’t believe that someone could be so beautiful and not just beautiful, but pretty in a way that I didn’t think men could be.” Bucky blushes and tries to lower his head, but Steve doesn’t let him hide. “I know I’m too old for you.” The younger man tries to argue, but Steve puts his thumb over Bucky’s lips. “I don’t care that I’m too old for you, I want to be with you for as long as you’ll let me.”

Bucky opens his lips and takes Steve’s thumb into his mouth, sucking gently. Steve’s breath catches and he swallows down the lump that’s formed in his throat. Bucky nips at the pad and releases Steve. “Then I think you might want to plan on being with me for a long time.” Reaching up, he runs his fingers through Steve’s hair. “You okay with that, Steve?”

Steve’s eyes glaze over at how content his feels. His mouth opens and the words come tumbling out. “I told them at the hospital that I was your  fiancé to get them to let me in.”

Bucky looks at him incredulous before leaning back on the pillows and giggling. “You didn’t!”

“I did.” Steve invades Bucky’s space, pressing him into the pillows and kissing him lightly. “And I’d do it again, so I think, if you’re okay with it, you should plan to be with me for a very, very long time.”

Bucky hums and gives a seductive smile. “Then I think we should see if we’re physically compatible.” Steve gets a wink. “What do  ya say, Steve? Ready to consummate our engagement?” Steve buries his face in Bucky’s neck, chuckling. “But just so we’re clear, I expect a ring...soon.”

Steve reaches over to the side table, opens the bottom drawer, and throws the little box on Bucky’s chest. The kid opens the ring box and tackles Steve on the bed. The consummation goes very well indeed.


	24. Linger in my Arms a Little Longer, Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PR specialist Bucky and Cap Steve meet up at Tony's Mardi Gras Party.

Ash Wednesday falls on February 17th and Tony decides to have a Mardi Gras ball on February 16th. None of this makes much sense to a super soldier that doesn’t like parties with more people than the Avengers. He’s gotten used to them, between charity dinners and galas for all manner of reasons, but it doesn’t mean Steve likes them. At least at this party, everyone is wearing masks and it gives him something to hide behind. Pepper and Natasha would frown at that, but they’ve given up trying to find Steve the perfect girl. She doesn’t exist simply because Steve has eyes only for the male form.

  
He’s pretty sure that Tony suspects and he’s sure that Sam knows, it’s just not talked about because being men they know to leave things alone when it comes to dating. Or maybe it’s just that both men are good people that like to joke, but don’t like to stick their noses in a friend's person life. He’s gotten a few looks tonight but deciding to grow a beard and darken his hair has helped in people not approaching him.

  
They’re looking for clean shaven blonde headed Steve Rogers, not a tall man with brunet hair and a close-cropped beard. It’s been nice not having people hound him for meaningless chatter or a dance. Looking around he heads over where Clint and Bruce are laughing about Nat and Tony dancing and arguing over who will lead. Thor joins them and barks a boisterous laugh at Tony finally giving in and letting Nat lead.

  
There’s one face he wishes he could see in the crowd, but the young man doesn’t appear to be in attendance. Bucky Barnes works for Stark Industries in the PR department because Pepper trusts him with everything Avengers. When things went south on one of their missions, Bucky was able to spin it with the press and show that what happened wasn’t the team’s fault. From that point on, everything with the team went straight to Bucky’s desk.

  
That’s how Steve met him and quickly took a liking to the young man’s sharp wit. Falling for him hadn’t been the plan, but Steve is in deep now and takes every opportunity to see the PR specialist. Maybe it’s his long chestnut hair, maybe it’s those incredible blue eyes, maybe it’s his sharp jaw or full lips, or maybe it’s just everything Bucky. Sadly, it seems that the man wasn’t able to make it tonight.

  


  
Bucky is running behind having meant to arrive with enough time to watch for Steve. He’s not sure he’s reading the signals right, but he’s swears that the super soldier has been flirting with him. Tonight is supposed to be the night that Bucky takes a chance. But he went with Becca to get a haircut and it turned into a little more than that. His trim turned into a completely new look.

  
He’s feeling a little self-conscious about it. Everyone in the place complimented him enough, so maybe he’s okay. The deep blue suit hugs Bucky in all the right places and with his hair, shorter on the sides and longer on top, swept back with product, but his natural curl is still there, he looks like something out of the fashion magazines. Or so Becca says. When he arrives, the party is already in full swing. Bucky heads to the bar, but doesn’t miss how some people are looking at him.

But Bucky only has eyes for one person and looking around he sees that Steve isn’t here. His heart falls a little at that because Bucky dreams about that man. It’s really embarrassing, but what’s a guy to do when someone as pretty as Steve flirts with him. The mask on his face is silver lace and does nothing to hide the intensity of his eyes. Looking around, he sees a man, standing with Hawkeye, Dr. Banner, and Thor staring at him. 

The man is tall, about Steve’s height, but he’s got dark hair and a beard. He doesn’t stop staring though and Bucky has to admit, he’s really handsome. He sees Dr. Banner elbow the guy, so he turns back to the dance floor. Bucky moves away from the bar and closer to the floor and sees what the  ruckus is about.

Tony Stark and Black Widow are dancing the Tango and Tony is not leading. Widow moves him around the floor and when Bucky looks over, he sees Ms. Potts laughing behind her hand. He watches the pair for a little bit longer and then moves off to grab something to eat. He’s looking over the offering when a voice next to him shakes him out of his thoughts of Steve being a no show.

“The crab puffs are really good, but I prefer the mini quiches.” Bucky turns, grinning because he’d know that voice anywhere, but comes face to face with the attractive  dark-haired guy he spotted earlier.

Bucky’s eyes get huge because he’s also knows those eyes anywhere. “Steve?”

The super soldier chuckles and nods while blushing. “Buck, it’s good to see you.”

Bucky shakes his head and looks back up at Steve, indicating the mans’ face. “Steve, what is all this about?”

“I could ask you the same thing with that hair. I wasn’t sure it was you until you started walking over to the food.” Bucky blushes and hopes that his mask hides most of it, but from the smirk he’s getting from Steve, it isn’t offering any help.

“Becca, my sister, convinced me to do this.” He frowns at Steve. “And don’t change the subject.”

“Well, it looks good. Real good, Buck.” Steve reaches over, taking Bucky’s glass, so he can get food. “You should eat.” Bucky goes back to picking out what he wants when Steve finally answers his question. “I didn’t want to deal with the people that just want...time, attention...”

“Or just a piece of Captain America?” Bucky looks up and sees how much his understanding means to Steve. “Then hang out with me?”

Steve grins even brighter than before. “Yeah, I’d like that.” They find a table near one of the corners of the room and sit. They talk about the last mission only as far as it being the reason that Steve could grow the beard and Bucky not notice.

“You were gone for weeks. I was starting to get worried and, of course, being just a PR person, no one would tell me anything.” Bucky takes a bite, so he doesn’t see the look on Steve’s face.

“I could set it up so that you get notified about things.” Bucky’s head shoots up. “I just mean, you know, for...for PR reasons.”

Bucky leans on the table with a soft smile. “Is that the only reason, Steve?” 

Steve looks away, blushing again and gives a minute shake of his head. “No, it’s not.”

“Steve, I like you and I promised myself I was going to be brave tonight. Maybe it’s the masks or maybe it’s just time.” Steve looks back over almost bashful. “Steve, if I’ve been reading the signals wrong, please tell me, but I really like you.”

Steve reaches over, taking Bucky’s hand and raising it to his lips. Kissing lightly across Bucky’s knuckles, he blows out a breath, but not like a sigh, more like a weight being lifted. “You aren’t reading the signals wrong, Bucky. I like you too.” Squaring his shoulders, Bucky feels like he’s suddenly sitting across from Captain America and not Steve Rogers. “It’s a little more than like for me.”

Bucky tightens his grip on Steve’s hand. “It’s a little more than like for me too, but I didn’t want to scare you off.”

Steve barks a laugh and brings his other hand up, so he can hold Bucky’s in both of his. “I don’t think you could scare me.” A song starts that has Steve pause. “I remember this song.” He looks over at Bucky and looks pleadingly. “Dance with me?”

When the two men take the floor, Steve wraps Bucky in his arms and pulls him in, flush against his body. He pulls their hands to his chest, resting his cheek against Bucky’s temple and closes his eyes. Bucky has never felt safer than he does in this moment. “I’m going to fall in love with you, Steve.”

Steve lifts his head enough to kiss Bucky’s forehead. “Good, cause I’m already there, Buck.”

  



	25. Centerfold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Way back when, Steve had a crush on Bucky, but what happens when Bucky shows up on Steve's favorite porn site.

Steve sits at his computer, dumbstruck. There’s a long list of adjectives going through his head, or there would be if his brain wasn’t offline. Words like, stupefied and thunderstruck and, let’s not forget, flabbergasted. Yeah, those words might be running through his mind, if he wasn’t currently drooling on himself.

Years ago, when Steve was a hundred pound nothing, he had a crush, like a feel it in your bones  kinda crush. The guy was in his homeroom and seemed to be the most popular guy in the school. The students liked him, the teachers liked him, the administration liked him. And boy oh boy, did Steve ever like him. 

Steve heard that the guy, James Barnes, but his friends called him Bucky, was accepted to MIT on a full scholarship. See, Steve was an artist and just wanted to go to art school and James Barnes, Steve would never call him Bucky, they weren’t friend, was in a different world from the young blond. James Barnes was the epitome of everything beautiful and Steve Rogers was at the bottom of the barrel. 

It didn’t stop Steve from dreaming though.

He dreamed of James Barnes every night. He watched as he dated all types of girls. And the year they graduated, Steve watched James Barnes move away and never come back. After Steve’s first two years of art school, he shot up seven inches and started going to the gym and packing on muscle. Now, he looks like a guy that could walk up to James Barnes and actually make a complete sentence. Not that Steve could actually do that, he still couldn’t get over the shy part.

But now... jesus ...Steve is logged into one of his guilty pleasures since he doesn’t date and there, there is James Barnes holding a towel just low enough for all of his luscious back and ass to be seen. He’s looking back over his shoulder giving the camera a sultry, come-hither look. Steve feels that look all the way down to his very interested, very hard dick.

Swallowing like a man who’s dying of thirst and just got his first drink of water in months, Steve pushes away from the desk and heads into the kitchen. He stands at the sink drinking glass after glass of water, trying to bring his body temperature down to a degree that won’t burn him alive. When he thinks his heartrate has come down enough, Steve goes back to the computer.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s really him.” Steve sits heavily in the chair and tries to decide what to do. He really, more than he wants to breathe, wants to click the thumbnail for James’s private page, but he can’t get that perfect angel out of his mind from high school. “Fuck it! I’m never going to see him again.” Clicking the link, he is taken to a page that asks for credit card information.

In socked feet, Steve skids across the living room to the bowl where his wallet is and then slides back into the chair at the desk. Inputting the information, he clicks again and. ..he stops breathing. James Barnes is in all manner of compromising positions. There’s no one else with him, but the things he’s doing to himself have Steve convinced that he’s having a stroke.

Steve goes to bed that night exhausted and thinking about James. His homeroom angel is out there somewhere, taking his clothes off for strangers, shoving dildos up his ass, but Steve can’t see past the ethereal being from his memory. And that would be the end of it except three days later, Steve gets a call.

“Uh...hi, I’m looking for Steve Rogers.” The voice on the other end of Steve’s cell sounds familiar, but he can’t place it. He suspects it’s about a commission.

“This is Steve Rogers. What can I help you with?” There’s a chuckle on the other end and Steve pulls the cell away from his ear and looks at the screen. It’s an unknown number. “Hello?”

“Yeah, sorry, I’m just trying to make sure I’ve got the right Steve Rogers.” Steve scrunches up his face. The voice on the other end asks Steve about the year he graduated and what school he graduated from and if he is an artist. Steve answers all of the questions and then hears, “I’ll be damned.”

“I’m sorry?” This call is getting a little weird and Steve’s ready to hang up when the voice comes back with a laugh.

“I don’t suppose you remember a James Barnes, do you?” Steve’s chest seizes and he’s going to pass out. To make his landing less medical emergency and more dying of  embarrassment , he moves over to the sofa.

Steve clears his throat several times before he can get the words out because he knows who this is now. Suddenly, all he can hear is the sensual moans that came out of his computer a few nights ago. “Jesus, yeah, I remember a James Barnes.” Steve’s impressed with himself. He actually sounds relatively normal.

“I saw one of your paintings hanging at a coffee shop in Brooklyn and wanted to see if it was the same guy I remember from high school.” There’s a pause and then a rushed. “I also want to hire you to do something for my parents.”

Of course, all Steve can think is, ‘I’ll do anything you want anytime you want,’ but what he says is, “I’d be happy to meet with you and discuss the subject of the work.”

“Cool...that’s...that’s really great. Yeah, so are you free anytime soon?” Steve looks around at his apartment, then gets up to look in the mirror.

“Well, I don’t really want a potential client to see what my apartment looks like right now, but I can meet you somewhere and I can bring my portfolio.” Steve leans his forehead against the mirror and closes his eyes, silently praying that James is willing to meet. He really wants to see the man in person, just once more.

“Yeah actually, I am free right now. Tell me where to meet you and I’ll be there.” That’s how Steve finds himself walking into Cherrywood Coffee, portfolio under his arm and his heart in his throat. The  barista waves and Steve looks around and spots James sitting by one of the windows, staring out at the passing people. 

He’s not how Steve remembers him from high school and he doesn’t look like the same man from the website. He looks soft, warm, and even more beautiful than the image Steve has in his head. It’s cool outside and James is in a grey, cable knit sweater and loose jeans. His hair is pulled back in a low ponytail, and he has a dusting of stubble on his face. He’s chewing on his bottom lip like he’s nervous, just like when he was in school, but now, Steve wants to gently pull the lip from James’s teeth and caress it better. 

James looks over, passes a glance over Steve and to the door, then his eyes fly back to Steve’s face and he gapes at the blond. Standing, James makes his way over. “Steve?”

Steve offers his hand and James’s slides his into it. “Hey James.”

“Hey, uh...let me get you a coffee and we can talk.” Steve goes to the now vacant table and sits, watching James. He moves with more confidence and seems to have an easy way about him that he didn’t have in school. Coming back over, he sits the coffee in front of Steve and takes his seat again. He just stares at the artist with his mouth slightly open. Shaking his head, James looks down at the table. “I’m sorry. It’s just...I mean...Steve you don’t look the same as I remember you.”

Steve huffs a quiet laugh. “Yeah, I hit a late growth spurt.” Then it hits him. “You remember me?”

James looks up, through his lashes and it’s a damn revelation for Steve. “I  kinda had a crush on you in school.”

The bottom falls out from under Steve.

It starts with disbelief and then morphs into a smile. “I had a crush on you in school too.”

Steve is pushed up against his own front door, James presses into him from lips to knees. The portfolio is on the floor and Steve’s hand are pinned next to his head. He’s been hard since they got in the elevator downstairs and now, with James against him, he can feel how hard the other man is too. Steve lets the man do anything he wants and right now it seems that he wants to dominate the artist’s mouth. Steve is one hundred percent on board with that.

Lifting away just enough to attack Steve’s neck the blond moans. “Fuck...please don’t stop...like ever.”

James leans away, smiling. “Ever?”

There’s something in the smile that reminds Steve of the website and he stiffens. And not in a good way. James pulls away, feeling the change in Steve’s body. “I need to tell you something and it could be embarrassing for both of us.”

James smirks. “Let me guess, you saw the website?”

Steve looks up at the ceiling and closes his eyes. “Yeah, but that’s not why we’re here.” He looks into those blue/gray eyes and sighs. “We’re here because you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen and I’ve been carrying a torch for you since the first time I saw you in middle school.”

“That’s good to know.” James starts to caress down Steve’s sides and lets his hands come to rest on the taller man’s hips. “The first time I saw you and really took notice, you were yelling at some kid because he reached out and grabbed a girl's ass in the hallway. I wanted to get to know you, but was too afraid to get too close.” Leaning in again, he brushes his lips across Steve’s. “You scared me, Steve. I’d never felt like that before. I don’t care that you saw the site, it was a dare to begin with.” Bucky snorts and Steve’s enchanted by the sound. “My friends are assholes and I’m not on that site anymore.”

“Take me to bed, James.” The brunet’s eyes dilate even more.

“Call me Bucky.” Steve grabs Bucky’s hand and leads him to the bedroom. “I’m hoping at some point you’ll be yelling it.”

Steve pulls his sweater over his head, grinning. “I’m counting on it, Bucky.”

“Are you staring at me again?” The voice is muffled from Bucky having his face smushed into the pillow. The early morning lights him in golds and Steve can’t take his eyes off the man that’s been sharing his bed and life for a year.

“I can’t help that you’re so damn beautiful.” He leans in, kissing Bucky’s bare shoulder. “I’d spend the rest of my life staring if you let me.”

Bucky rubs his face in the pillow before rolling over, letting Steve see all of him. The blond doesn’t stop himself from looking. “You need to be careful, Steve. Words like that sound almost like a proposal.” Bucky laughs at his own joke.

Steve doesn’t.

“What if I wanted that?” Bucky stops laughing and looks at Steve, brow furrowed.

Sitting up, Bucky scoots closer to Steve, reaching up to gently cup his artist’s cheek. “Steve?”

“Look Buck, you  gotta know how much I love you. Hell, there are days when how much I love you surprises me, but I don’t want to live without you. I want everything with you.” Steve looks down at his hands, but then tilts his face back up so that Bucky can see his eyes.

“You want to marry me?” Steve nods. “Then ask me the right way.”

Steve jumps from the bed and gets down on one knee, he takes Bucky’s hand and grins like a loon. “James Barnes, I think I’ve loved you since I was twelve. Getting to spend this last year with you has made me realize all of the wonderful things I was missing. I want to walk through this life with you, holding you up when you need me to and loving you all the way through. Please, marry me?”

Bucky slides off the bed and into Steve’s lap. “That’s what I’m  talkin about.” He murmurs and kisses Steve lightly. “Damn right I’ll marry you.”


	26. A Matter of Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Writer Steve accidentally summons a Lust Demon. Guess who?

Steve is yelling on the phone with tech support because after weeks of writer’s block he finally has a breakthrough and now…now his shitty computer won’t let him see what he’s written. The man on the other end of the phone sounds bored out of his mind and Steve is ready to crawl through the phone line and strangle him. Plus, he sounds like he’s 12: his voice even cracks every now and then, making Steve even more on edge. 

Finally done with the whole situation, Steve bangs both fists down on the keyboard and a long line of unrecognizable characters fly across his screen. They aren’t even English and he has no idea how that even happened. Then, because Steve’s life is just this way, there’s a swirling, almost like wind, but heated too. In the middle of his living room, a shape starts to appear, but it’s blurry like someone moved a camera while taking a picture. 

It finally solidifies and Steve looks carefully at it and passes out.

The creature leans over, looking at the ridiculously attractive human and shifts into his human form. It always surprises these simpletons when he shows up in his actual form and not some otherworldly Adonis. They also get confused when he gives them one last out before getting what they want. It used to be just girls and women who were looking for love and mistranslate what he actually does, now though, he gets everyone and being that he’s an equal opportunity Lust Demon, he has no problem with that.

Looking down at the human that’s is still out, he finds it hard to believe that this guy can’t get laid. He’s big, bigger than the Lust Demon’s human form, muscles everywhere and a face too perfect. Hell, he’d mistake this guy for an angel if he wasn’t sure about his humanity. As he starts to stir, the Lust Demon drapes himself across the sofa, letting all of his allure out, along with all of his other parts. He is a lust demon after all, so what else is he going to do, if not get lucky with the most attractive human he’s seen in centuries.

Steve comes to on the floor and sits up, rubbing his head. Resting his elbows on his knees, he wraps them around his head and just breathes. That was the weirdest thing that’s ever happened and he decides that he needs to get more rest and definitely run every morning. Just get out of this apartment. When he looks up, finally, there’s a man on his sofa…naked. He’s really pretty, like stop you in your tracks and stare, pretty. “Uh…w-who are you?”

The guy smiles and it’s one of those, ‘I know what you’re thinking’ smiles. Steve really needs to get out more because if this is what men out in the real world are looking like, he needs to get himself one. Shaking his head, Steve reminds himself that he’s not one of those assholes, but the shoulder length chestnut hair, the big, luminescent eyes, the full lips, he’s just…perfect. Suddenly, Steve gets an idea for his novel. 

Grabbing the closest notebook, Steve starts jotting down notes. He hears someone huff and remembers that he’s got a naked guy on his sofa. “So, what? Are you going to draw me?”

Steve looks up, grinning. The first thing the lust demon notices is that this guy isn’t ogling him, he’s looking at him like he appreciates something beautiful. That’s new. Second, he notices that the guy isn’t losing his battle with lust, which the demon is oozing into the room. “Not that kind of artist. But you gave me an idea for this book.”

Feeling a little exposed, the demon grabs the blanket off the back of the sofa. “You summoned me, so maybe you need to tell me what this is about.”

Steve looks up, confused. “Summoned you? I didn’t…wait…who are you?”

The demon smirks. “Took you long enough, man. I’m the Demon that you summoned and I’m here to do whatever depraved thing you’re into.”

Steve looks at him like he’s nuts. “Who are you really? Did Sam let you in? 

The demon just looks at the guy and then around the room. There’s no candles, no sigils. What the fuck is going on here? “Look man, all I know is the summons came across the ether and I’m here.”

The guy gets up and goes to his desk to get his phone. Seeing the computer screen he rolls his eyes. “The least that could have happened is someone could have fixed this piece of shit.” The guy from the sofa comes over, letting the blanket drop. It’s not that Steve’s blind, but he’s always tried to treat everyone respectful, but he is only human and slipped up earlier. The guy leans over his back, looking at the computer screen. 

“See, right there…a summons.” Steve looks back over his shoulder and the demon looks at him. “Look, I can prove it, but you gotta promise not to pass out again.”

Steve nods and watches as horns grow out of the guy’s head and his skin takes on a bluish tint. “Holy fucking hell, what…”

“I told you man, I’m a demon and that writing on your computer is my summoning spell.” Steve stares as the horns disappear and the guy’s skin goes back to looking human.

“I hit my computer keyboard and that’s what happened. I was trying to get it to work.” He waves his hands around. “I wasn’t trying to summon…you…what are you anyway?”

The demon sits on the sofa arm. “I’m a lust demon and…wait a minute…I’m not having any effect on you. Like you aren’t trying to climb out of your clothes or climb me…you really didn’t summon me.”

Steve folds his arms over his chest and the demon can’t stop looking because it’s a really nice chest. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. This was an accident and so…you know…you can go.”

The demon looks at him, grinning. “Man, do you know how long it’s been since I came to earth and it wasn’t for a job? It’s been…shit…like 2000 years. I’m stayin for a while.”

Steve waves his arms again. “Wait…what do you do exactly as a…you know…lust demon?”

The demon smirks again. “What do you think I do?” Steve looks shocked and appalled. The demon explains his job and what usually happens and Steve can’t believe this kind of stuff really exists. “What do I call you because I’m not calling you lust or demon.”

He gets a bark of laughter. “Well, if I had a name I don’t remember it anymore.” Still naked as the day he was created, the demon goes over to look at the things on Steve’s shelf. What draws his attention are the photographs. Most of them are of this human and another human. She’s lovely and the demon knows it’s a parent because of the similarities. Turning back, he looks at the guy. “What’s it like?” Steve tilts his head in question. “Having a parent?”

“You don’t…how…really, you don’t…” Suddenly, something about this guy doesn’t seem demon-ish. “I’m going to call you Bucky.”

The demon starts laughing in joy. “And why would you call me that?”

“You showed up in my living room buck naked!” The demon freezes and then barks with laughter again.

“Bucky it is then.”

It seems that Bucky can fix anything and that includes Steve’s computer. He touched the thing and suddenly it’s running like brand new. Since arriving two days ago, Bucky has taken to many things. The first night Steve ordered pizza and Bucky nearly had an orgasm when he ate it. The next morning Steve fixed pancakes and bacon and again, Bucky groaned and ate his weight. Coffee he only likes if it’s ridiculously sweet, so this morning Steve stopped on the way back from his run and got one of those things that people like to call coffee, but it’s not really.

When he comes in, Bucky is just shuffling out of the bathroom, still wet from the shower. Steve really needs to talk to him about clothes...again. He found some sweats and tees that fit the demon okay, but he’d rather be naked. “Bucky, brought you something new to try, but you can’t have it until you put on pants.”

Huffing a laugh, Bucky goes in and slips into the sweat pants. It’s not that he minds the pants, but he really likes annoying Steve. The man is so easy to annoy. Going back out, he makes grabby hands at the cup. “What is it?”

“It’s coffee. It’s called a hazelnut, mocha latte.” Bucky takes a sip and he looks up at Steve like his life has been changed.

“Fuck Steve! Where has then been all my life?” Steve chuckles and goes to take a shower. “Do you want me to fix you something for breakfast?”

“You don’t gotta do that, Buck. I’ll get it when I get out.” The demon watches his…friend…walk away and wonders what makes Steve tick. As a lust demon he can’t help but notice how Steve fills out his clothes, especially the back of his pants. He’s got the most beautiful ass that the demon has ever seen. It’s very distracting.

It’s been two days and even though Bucky knows that Steve finds him attractive, he doesn’t make a move. The demon can’t figure that out and he’s been walking around naked as much as possible to try to get a reaction. Instead, he gets a shoved shoulder or teasing. He can’t say what it is, but he can say…he likes it.

After the second week, they have a routine. Steve gets up and goes for a run, he stops to get Bucky a coffee, and when he gets back, while he showers Bucky fixes breakfast. Then it’s work time. Bucky has taken to sitting with Steve and having the human talk to him about what’s not working and a few times Bucky has helped him work through a block. Steve writes superhero novels and his main character is a guy called Captain America. What Bucky finds interesting is that it’s not what anyone would expect, Steve is more interested in creating characters that feel real. Sure, they have powers, in Captain America’s case, he’s stronger, smarter, and faster than anyone, but he’s also human and in some cases…too human.

Moving through the third week, Bucky even volunteers to help Steve with a fight scene. They get up and move the furniture out of the way and Steve describes what he’s trying to do. Bucky shows him moves that Steve hadn’t considered and at one point, Steve is above him, pinning him to the floor. Bucky has a moment where he wants, more than anything, to surge up and kiss the blond man, but refrains. Something about this man draws Bucky in because he doesn’t react to the demon like anyone else would. When Steve has the scene practiced through, what it would look like, he gets up to put it down on the computer. Steve obviously likes having him around, but it does bring up a question.

“Hey Buck?” The demon looks over and Steve’s watching him. “When will you go…home?”

The demon mutes the TV because even though he’s gotten addicted to the Great British Bake-off, he didn’t expect that question. “Are you trying to get rid of me, Steve?”

“NO! That wasn’t, I just figured you’d get bored or something eventually.” Bucky lays his head back on the sofa and looks at the ceiling.

“You gotta understand, Steve, whether you meant to or not you summoned me, but since you didn’t mean to, I sorta have a freedom I’m not used to.” Steve leans on the desk interested in all of this.

“What do ya mean?”

Bucky sits up, smiling at his friend. “I’m here until I’ve completed the usual way a summoning…goes.” Steve blushes and Bucky snorts. “In other words, I get to stay as long as you let me.”

“Oh…” Steve looks down at the computer and smiles. “Well good. Want pizza or Chinese for dinner?”

Steve gets a pillow in the face for that. “What kinda question is that?” They order pizza.

September bleeds into October and Bucky’s still with Steve. It’s been nearly two months and Steve decides it’s time to decorate for Halloween. Bucky finds all of the decorations amusing. “You know I can make this a lot scarier.”

Steve frowns over at his friend. “We don’t want to cause trauma, you demon.” That always makes Bucky snort and this time is no different.

“When do we get to go out and get the candy? Isn’t there supposed to be candy?” Steve smiles at his friend, a demon that’s become his best friend.

“We’ll go tonight after dinner if you want.” Bucky hands him another skeleton to hang from the fire escape.

“Yeah, let’s do that.” They have a stew that Steve put on earlier in the afternoon and some fresh bread. “Do you always fix your own bread?”

“No, but I thought you’d enjoy seeing how it’s done and how it tastes.” Bucky looks up and has the realization that the reason that Steve does some of the things he does is because he wants Bucky to have the experience. Bucky starts to say something, but Steve stops him. “And before you say anything about it, I like  doin it, so you’ll just have to enjoy it.”

The first time Bucky knows something different is happening to him, is the night of Halloween. And just because he recognizes that something is happening, doesn’t mean he knows what it is. Steve’s gotten ready for the party he’s going to, something that his friend, Natasha, is throwing. Bucky hasn’t met any of Steve’s friends because they don’t know what to tell them. 

Bucky wants to go to the party. He didn’t tell Steve he wanted to go, but he really, really does. Steve is dressed like Captain America, in a deep blue suit that the author calls the Stealth Suit, he carries a shield that Bucky’s seen in his closet, and the man looks like a walking wet dream to the demon. He’s trimmed his beard, which is new, and his hair is a little longer, but Bucky really likes the way Steve looks. Like, really likes the way Steve looks. As Steve slips his boots on, he looks over at Bucky. “Buck?”

Bucky looks over, trying not to look sad. “Yeah?”

Steve looks down at the floor, trying to hide the soft smile. “I really think you should come with me to this party.” Bucky is up and out of the chair. He grabs a piece of candy. “You just don’t have a costume.”

As the words leave his mouth, Bucky morphs into his true form, one that he doesn’t like to use anymore because he doesn’t want to scare Steve, but when he looks up, Steve is grinning. He’s not scared of Bucky at all. “What do you think?” It’s strange for Steve to look at him the same way in this form as he does when Bucky looks human.

“I think you looks great, buddy.” And Bucky can see that Steve’s telling the truth. He doesn’t mind that this is what Bucky really looks like. “You’ll probably win the best costume contest.”

They get out on the street and a group of kids run over to them, squealing in excitement. “Mister, you look amazing!” That’s from a little boy about eight. He looks over at Steve in shock. “Oh my god, you’re Captain America!”

One of the little girls wants to be picked up. Bucky looks over at the mother and gets a nod. He picks her up and looks over at Steve. His friend is grinning. “Are you a witch?” The little girl nods and lays a head on his shoulder. “You’re the best witch I ever saw.”

Sitting her down, Bucky looks at them in awe. One of the older kids looks over at Steve. “Is he your boyfriend, Cap?” Steve blushes so deep that Bucky chuckles.

Steve reaches over for Bucky’s hand. Lacing their fingers together, he smirks. “Yes, he is.” He pulls Bucky along and doesn’t let go of his hand. The longer they are connected, the more Bucky likes it. Steve’s hand is nice in his. Nice isn’t something that Bucky is used to, but everything with Steve has been…nice. Steve leans in as they make their way down the street. “Sorry about that, but it seemed the easiest explanation.” Bucky looks down at their hands and can’t remember the last time he felt like this. Steve’s hand fits.

Bucky is a big hit at the Halloween party, so when Thanksgiving comes around, he’s invited with Steve. 

Bucky is quiet for days after the Halloween party. He’d spent the evening watching Steve with his friends. It’s obvious how much they all care about each other and by extension, Bucky became part of that. He laughed and joked with all of them throughout the evening and Steve beamed at him. It was that smile that stayed with Bucky afterwards. He went to bed that night thinking about that smile and woke up the next morning still with it living in his mind like a living breathing entity. 

When Steve lightly knocked on his door, Bucky sat up and Steve eased into the room with his coffee. Sitting it on the side table, Steve had reached over, brushing Bucky’s hair back from his forehead. Taking the coffee, he smiled up at Steve and that’s when he knew. Steve left the room and Bucky stared at the closed door. “Holy shit!” 

Sitting on the sofa, he listens to Steve on the phone with Sam later that afternoon while they talk about the book. Sam is impressed with how fast Steve finished and the blond smiles over at Bucky. “Well, if not for Bucky I don’t think I would have finished as fast as I did.” Sam says something on the other end that makes Steve blush. Bucky could listen in, but he doesn’t want to do that, not with Steve.

Once he’s off the phone, he turns and grins. “What?” Bucky wants to hear everything and Steve is more than willing to talk. As he explains that a producer wants to turn the series into movies, Steve just beams at him. 

Bucky’s in love with this human.

After an honest to goodness infinity of time lived, Bucky is in love with Steve Rogers. He’s never been in love before for obvious reasons, but that’s what this feeling is, he’s sure of it. “What’s that looks for, Buck?”

Shaking his head, he can’t tell Steve what he’s feeling. What he’s learned over weeks and weeks with this man is that he’s a good person. Like a really good man. He cares about everyone and being on the inner circle of that, Bucky’s gotten to enjoy how it feels to have someone care. That isn’t something that demons do.

Yet, here he is in the orbit of a man that means everything to him and all he can think about is how he never wants to leave. That’s a devastating thought and Bucky gets quiet. He knows that eventually he’ll be called back to hell. He’ll have to explain why he was gone for so long and it’s not that he doesn’t want to go back because it is home, or it was. Now home is a blond headed, beautiful man that looks at Bucky like he matters.

“I’m just really happy for you, Steve. You deserve everything good that happens.” Steve reaches out, squeezing Bucky’s shoulder.

“Thanks, Buck.”

Thanksgiving comes and goes and Bucky throws himself into everything he can. He wants to enjoy every second with Steve because it could end at any time. When that holiday is over, Steve starts decorating the apartment for Christmas. “So, are you religious, Steve?”

Steve looks over, Santa hat on his head, peppermint stick in his mouth and grins. “No, but I really love the decorations and this time of year.” That morning he’d brought Bucky a peppermint mocha latte and the demon was hooked. “I was thinking about going out later to do some shopping. Wanna come?”

Bucky nods and helps Steve get the lights on the fire escape. They exit the building that afternoon, the wind blowing, and it looks suspiciously like snow. Steve greets two ladies entering the building and Bucky watches the way they watch his friend. “They want you.” He says it without meaning to and doesn’t like the way that feeling sits in his gut.

“Well, they also know that I’m gay, so they know it won’t happen.” Without thinking, Steve reaches out, taking Bucky’s hand. “Your hands are freezing. We should get you some gloves.” Steve takes the hand he’s holding and puts it into his pocket, never untangling their fingers. 

The demon blushes.

Suddenly, he understands that no matter what happens, these little moments with Steve will live with him forever. Because of his hand being in Steve’s pocket, he has to walk closer to the blond than normal. Their shoulders bumping and Bucky finally just puts his head on Steve’s shoulder. They walk in silence until Steve drags him into the coffee house and buys him another coffee.

Steve has to go out a few days later to meet with Sam and Bucky puts on his coat and the gloves that Steve insisted that he needed, and heads out into this world he’s only seen through Steve’s eyes. The lights, the smiles on people’s faces, the world that Steve gets to live in, not the one that Bucky usually sees when he’s summoned. He stops into a store that he noticed when he was out with Steve. The woman is older and has a face that tells Bucky she’s seen more than she cares to share. “Well, what can I do for you?”

Bucky pulls out the phone that Steve insisted that he needed with the picture that Natasha took on Halloween. “I was wondering if you can blow this up?”

She looks at the picture and smiles. “My  you two look good together.” Looking up, she sees something that Bucky doesn’t mean to show to anyone. “You’re in love with him.” Bucky nods his head and looks down at the floor. “And you want to give him this for a gift?”

Nodding again, he looks back up at the lady. “I’m going to be leaving soon, probably, and I want him to remember me.”

“Well young man, if the look on his face tells me anything, it’s that he’ll never forget you.” She doesn’t ask any more questions and he leaves the picture with her. It won’t be ready for a week and that gives him time to plan out everything he needs to do. It’s not that he thinks other demons will come for him, he knows. 

The picture is ready on the 23 rd and Bucky goes to pick it up when Steve is out for his run. She’s put it in a wooden frame that’s perfect. He pays and gets back before Steve. That feeling that his time is running out won’t let him go, so he needs to do this today. Steve comes in, coffee in hand and looks at Bucky sitting next to the tree. “Buck?”

The demon turns, smiling as warmly as he’s feeling and gets a smile in return. “I have something for you.”

Steve comes over, handing him the coffee. “I’m going to shower and I’ll be back in like five minutes, okay?” Bucky nods and watches him walk away and wants to shout from the tallest building how much he loves this human.

Steve comes back, still warm from the shower and sits next to Bucky on the floor. The demon hands the gift over. “I want you to open this one now because I have something I need to tell you.” 

Steve takes the gift and carefully removes the paper. When he’s looking down at the picture, tears gather in his eyes. He loves that it’s a picture of them when Bucky is in his true form. It’s the only thing that he’ll have when Bucky leaves and he’ll always be able to see what Bucky really is. “I can’t believe you did this.” He looks up, teary eyed. “You know, I actually like the way you look, whether it’s like this or in your demon form.”

Unable to help himself, Bucky leans in, giving Steve a light kiss. “I’m in love with you, Steve Rogers. Me, a lust demon, and I’ve fallen in love with a human that likes how I look.” Bucky chuckles, but can’t help the tears. “They’re going to come for me. I’ve been gone too long and I can feel them. I wanted you to know before that happens.”

Steve looks back down at the picture and tears drop onto the frame. “Is there any way to stop that from happening?” He looks over. “I don’t want you to go.”

Reaching up, Bucky runs his fingers through Steve’s hair and wishes more than anything that Steve felt the same way. If he did, there’s a way to save Bucky from having to leave, but someone this beautiful can’t actually love a demon. “But someday you’ll find someone to love and you can’t miss that chance. You deserve that chance.” Steve leans in, pressing his soft lips to Bucky’s.

“Buck, I already found my one. You’re it. I love you too and I don’t want you to leave me.” Bucky looks at him shocked. “I’m in love with a demon and I can’t imagine my life without you.” Reaching up, he cups Bucky’s cheek so tenderly. “Isn’t there anything we can do?”

Bucky shakes his head and tries to pull away. “I can’t ask you to do that.” Getting up, he goes to the other side of the room. “I can’t.”

“I think you should let me be the judge of what I can and can’t do.” He comes up behind Bucky, wrapping his arms around the demon’s waist. “Tell me…please.”

Putting his head back to rest on Steve’s shoulder, Bucky sighs. “You can make love…with me.”

“ So, this all comes back to lust, huh?” There’s mirth in Steve’s voice and Bucky knows he doesn’t understand.

Turning in the blonde’s arms, he morphs into his demon form. “Not lust, Steve, love. But you would have to be with me…like this.”

Without even a pause, Steve pulls him towards the bedroom. “Don’t know why you’d think that was an issue. This is who you are, Bucky. I love who you are.”

Steve backs Bucky up to the bed and pushes him down with a smile on his face. Stripping himself, Bucky watches as miles of skin are revealed and he reaches up, desperate to have Steve against him. Taking the time to remove Bucky’s cloths too, Steve looks him over, seeing everything that makes Bucky who he is. Crawling over the demon, Steve revels in the feel of skin to skin. The blue hue to Bucky’s demon form is several shades darker than his eyes, but still beautiful in a way that Steve could never explain to anyone else.

“What are you thinking?” Steve grins down, kissing along Bucky’s shoulder making the demon whimper.

“I’m thinking that I’ve never seen anything like you.” Capturing the demon’s lips, Steve wants to drowned in everything that makes this creature his. “How do you want me?”

Bucky looks up disbelieving because Steve didn’t understand what he meant. “No Steve, you have to take me.” The blonde’s eyes get huge, never having considered that. “If you want to keep me, it has to be…”

Steve kisses him again to shut him up. Bucky wraps himself around Steve, holding on for everything that he’s never allowed himself to want. “We’ll do whatever it takes so you stay, so you’re mine.” Bucky really likes the way that sounds and the way that Steve looks at him like he’s still beautiful in this form. 

That’s the thing about all of this, Bucky never considered his demon form before, it just was, but now, with Steve, he started thinking about it. No wonder all of those people that summoned him jumped in fright, but with Steve, it’s like he’s everything Steve ever wanted, even like this. The man couldn’t be more perfect if he tried and Steve’s decency is just who he is.

Bucky starts to pull away and roll over, but Steve holds him in place. “Steve?”

“I want to see your face when we do this. I want to see you.” Reaching up, he brushes Bucky’s long hair out of his face, running across the horns protruding from his head, and for the first time in his entire existence, Bucky wants to cry. He’s never cried, he’s never had reason to. Being a demon usually means not having those kinds of feelings to worry about, but something in Bucky broke when he met Steve.

Broken in the best way possible.

Steve sees the change in Bucky and leans in to kiss him gently. “I don’t know how to do this, Steve.”

The soft smile he gets in return, melts the demon’s heart a little more. “You don’t have to know, you don’t have to understand, you just have to let me love you.” Nodding because he’s beyond being able to voice what he’s feeling, Bucky lets Steve take control of the situation and of him.

As they move together, Bucky knows that it’s never been this way. How could it be? In all of his existence he’s always been the one in charge, now, with Steve, he lets himself feel everything. When he’s close, ready to topple off the cliff of everything he’s feeling, he stares into Steve’s eyes until he can’t anymore. It’s all too much and Steve’s being so careful with him, like he could break. That’s when the tears come and he cries out, guttural and feral.

Steve watches in awe as his demon falls into the abyss. “You’re so fucking beautiful.” Bucky whimpers through the last of his orgasm and Steve speeds up, seeming to want to join Bucky in his blissed-out state.

Steve fills him and the change is almost immediate. As if his body needs to reassure itself that this is final, Bucky’s back bows from the bed and he orgasms again. Steve holds him, letting Bucky cling to him. “STEVE!”

“I’ve got you. I’m not letting you go. You’re mine now and they can’t have you back.” Bucky’s body morphs into his human form and he pulls Steve down for a kiss. “I love you.”

Bucky smiles, feeling lighter than he has…ever. “I love you too.” 

Bucky can feel the pull from hell, but he doesn’t have to answer the call any longer. He feels the connection grow weaker as the days go by. He looks over at Steve and knows that he’s watching to see if there’s any kind of retribution, but there can’t be. It would be breaking the very law that was put in place so many years ago that no one remembers when it happened. The guy in charge created the demons, giving them jobs to do, but if a demon decided to give themselves over to a human, he lets them go. 

Bucky’s been let go.

As the years go by, Steve marries his demon and they live a wonderful life together, always together. Bucky never regrets his decision, how could he, he has Steve. Steve becomes famous for his novels and the movies that come from them. Bucky lets him have the spotlight and watches him from the wings. Steve deserves everything good in this world and the next. Bucky never tells Steve how their story will end because he doesn’t want that weight on Steve’s shoulders.

Steve spends his life loving his Bucky. They travel through the ups and downs together and Steve never loses sight of how they got here or what Bucky did to stay with him. As the years go by, he loves Bucky more and more, wondering how he was lucky enough to hit all the right keys on his computer keyboard that day. As he ages, Bucky transforms himself too. Normally, Bucky wouldn’t age, but he morphs his appearance so that he ages along with Steve.

As the wrinkles around Steve’s eyes become more pronounced, Bucky’s do too. As Steve’s soft blonde hair starts to grey, Bucky’s does too. But the demon can’t mimic the frailty that comes with a human’s age. It doesn’t stop him from loving his Steve. He just cares for him until the last few minutes of Steve’s life. Only then does he tell his husband the truth when Steve looks over his husband’s shoulder and sees the swirling black mist. He looks up at Bucky with a question in his eyes.

“You stayed with me all these years. You’ve loved me every day without end.” Bucky smiles down at Steve’s hand, clasped in his own.

Bucky looks over his shoulder at the mist coming to claim him. “I could never leave you, my love. Once I saw what a truly good man you are, leaving wasn’t an option for me.” Looking down into those faded blue eyes, Bucky sighs. “I need to tell you something and I want you to listen.”

Steve smiles weakly. “As long as you start it with an I love you, I’ll listen to anything you have to say, sweetheart.”

Bucky grins and morphs into his demon self. “Oh, my angel, I do love you so.” Steve reaches up, but can’t lift his hand. Bucky lays his head on Steve’s hand. “When you go, I’ll have to go too.” He doesn’t raise his head because he knows that Steve’s going to argue. “It’s part of the rule of staying with you. I’ll have to go back to hell and we won’t…we can’t.” Finally looking up, he sees everything make sense to his husband. “You are too good for anything other than heaven, my love.”

Steve has that determined look. “Don’t put anything past me, angel.” Steve closes his eyes and lets go. Bucky weeps for his husband, his life, his love, his heart. The vortex opens and he’s sucked back into a life he never wanted to see again.

“Steven Grant Rogers, you are definitely on the list.” The woman looks down at Steve from her deep, rich wooden podium, who’s left the weak, old body behind. He looks young and healthy again, but looks around confused.

“Where am I?” The lady looks down at him and Steve thinks he knows what this is, but he looks around for Bucky.

“You are in heaven or not really heaven, yet. This is where we enter your name for the final time in your life book and then you pass through the gate and you’re in heaven.” She looks down at the book with Steve’s name on it. “And you most definitely are in the right place.”

Steve shakes his head. “No, I’m not. I want to go to hell.”

She barks a laugh and her strawberry, blond hair falls into her face. “Oh Steven, no one wants to go to hell.”

He turns to leave, but has no idea how to get out. “Well, I do. Now how do I get there?”

She comes from behind the podium and catches up with him as he walks away defiantly. “Steve, I don’t think you know what you’re asking.”

Turning, he tries not to seem impatient or unkind because she’s just doing a job. “I know exactly what I’m asking. My husband is in hell and if that’s where he has to stay, then that’s where I’m going.”

“Hold on just a minute!” She goes back to the book, turning through page after page. “You weren’t supposed to marry. That…no…you were going to live your life alone because no one matched up with you.”

“Lady, I don’t know what kind of book that is, but I just spent 60 years with a husband that deserves better than what he’s gotten!” She sits heavily in a chair that just appears out of nowhere.

Waving her hand, the book vanishes and she stares into space. “Maybe you should explain this a little better because this has never happened before.” Steve starts to talk and she interrupts. “Oh, and call me Virginia.” Steve tells her everything because he thinks that if he tells her he married a demon, she won’t put up a fight and send him on to hell where he can find Bucky. “Oh…shit…” Something about this rings true to Virginia, but it can’t be what she thinks.

Steve looks at her disbelieving and then barks a laugh. “Are you allowed to say that?”

“I can say anything I damn well please, Steve.” She looks up into his face. “You aren’t going to let this go are you? I can’t convince you to enter the gates?”

“No ma’am, I’m sorry. He was my life and I need him.” Steve looks around and everything is so beautiful. Bucky would love it. “I don’t know how to live without him. Maybe that makes me sound weak, but love like what we had, it doesn’t happen.”

She stands, pressing her skirt down, pulling her hair into a ponytail, and placing glasses that appear in her hand on her nose, she starts walking away from the gate. “No, you’re right, love like that doesn’t happen, but it did for you and I’m going to help you get it back.” There’s something like fear in her eyes, but not fear exactly.

Steve jogs to catch up with her and grins. “What do we have to do?”

Virginia clears her throat. “We have to go deal with someone that I would rather not deal with, but…we all have to take a hit for true love.” It’s the first time someone has said those words out loud, even though Steve is sure that’s what he and Bucky shared.

Hell is not really what Steve is expecting. For one, it’s cleaner than he imagined it and much better organized. There’s no hell fire and brimstone and no screaming of tortured souls. When the man at the desk sees Virginia, he jumps to his feet and looks like he’s seen a ghost. While she deals with that, Steve looks around confused and interested. “Ma’am…w-what a-are y-you doing here?”

“I need to see him.” The guy runs for the back office and comes back with several ‘coworkers’ curious why Virginia would be in hell.

Steve leans in. “Virginia, what’s…” 

Before he can finish, the huge office door at the back opens and a man comes towards them. He’s got a smirk on his face that seems to be his natural expression, he’s wearing a suit that looks expensive, and he’s got the most ridiculous goatee that Steve’s ever seen. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Virginia herself, gracing us with your presence. What could you possibly want down here? Not that we’re really down, but that’s the general belief so why not roll with it.”

Steve isn’t sure if this guy is trying to be amusing or trying to be annoying. Virginia looks like she’d rather be anywhere else, but squares her shoulders. “Anthony, I’d say it’s good to see you, but you know how I don’t like to lie.”

‘Anthony’ leans on the counter, obviously checking Virginia out. “And yet, here you are.” He comes around the counter to look her up and down. “And you look just as good as the last time I saw you.”

She sets her lips and sighs. “Anthony, we have a situation and I want to find a way to rectify it without either of us getting hurt.” She glares at him and he steps back. “I see you remember the last time we tried to work together and I had to kick your ass.”

Steve’s eyes bug out and Virginia looks a little proud of herself. Anthony looks a little green. “Using angel harps was unfair and you know it. You know demons can’t listen to them without exploding.” Virginia looks smug and Anthony waves his arm. “Fine, what is it that you need.”

She turns to present Steve. “Anthony, this is Steven Grant Rogers.” The ‘man’ stares at Steve dumbstruck. 

“You’re Steve Rogers?” Virginia seems taken aback by Antony’s recognition. Steve nods. “Well, this is a day of firsts.” He grins and it’s not a nice thing. “First, Virginia comes to ask for help and second, I get to see the man that took one of my best lust demons from me for far too long.” Then his demeanor changes and Virginia puts herself in between Anthony and Steve. The demon’s eyes begin to glow. “You took one of my lust demons and broke him.”

Virginia starts to interrupt, but Steve steps around her. He’s never backed down from a fight and this will not be when he starts. This arrogant being has his husband and he’s damn well going to get Bucky back. Getting in the demon’s face, he presses forward. “I want him back. He isn’t yours. He belongs to me, so give him willingly or I swear I’ll tear this place to the ground until I find him.”

The demon would laugh, except Steve’s eyes begin to glow and enormous silver wings sprout from Steve’s back. “What the hell is this?” Anthony looks over Steve’s shoulder glaring at Virginia. “Did you do this?” 

She’s shaking her head. “Nope, that wasn’t me. That’s coming from him.” She didn’t know for sure that this would happen, but she had a feeling and that’s why when Steve told her that his husband was a lust demon, she had to take the chance. There have been rumors for centuries and then there are prophecies and neither should be ignored.

“What do I get if I give you back that broken, sad excuse of a demon?” Steve flexes his wings and three demons fly into walls. Anthony looks at him, sizing Steve up and how much energy Anthony will have to expend to bring the blond, newly-formed angel down. Virginia raises a finger and Anthony looks over at her. “What?”

She pulls a book from thin air and opens it. “We both are going to take a loss on this one, Anthony.” He starts to argue, but she comes around Steve’s wings to show the King of Hell what she’s talking about. He looks up, mouth hanging open and stares at Steve. “You’re kidding?” Virginia shakes her head. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

“Be that as it may,” Anthony and Virginia both snort because obviously he’s damned, “So this is what it looks like, huh?”

Steve’s more confused now than he was when the wings showed up, but he’s also losing his patients with these two. “Would someone tell me what the fuck is going on?”

Anthony grabs his shoulder, turning Steve so they can walk further into the office and down a long hallway. Steve’s wings drag against the walls. Virginia follows them, keeping an eye on Anthony. They may know what this is all about, but she doesn’t completely trust Anthony to follow the rules. “What’s going on is you, my friend, get to have your demon, not that he’s any use to me anymore and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it. But it does give me a chance to see it up close.”

“See what?” Steve looks over his shoulder at Virginia.

“True Love, Steve. We’ve never had it on either side before, so this is new for both of us.” They get to the end of the hall and Anthony opens a door leading into a dark room. 

Steve feels him before he sees him. “Buck?” The whimper from inside is heartbreaking. “Bucky, it’s me.”

The voice inside is weak. “Steve?” Steve has an armful of his husband before he realizes what’s happening. “Steve, how did you…are those wing…oh god baby…I missed you…”

Steve wraps his arms around Bucky and the wings come around to hold him even closer. The dark room lights up like a super nova. Anthony and Virginia step back in awe. “Holy shit!”

Virginia just nods. “Holy shit, indeed.” She looks over at her counterpart. “You know what we have to do.”

Anthony nods and they both snap at the same time. Everything changes and the man with wings and the demon with horns, look at their surroundings. “Where are we, Steve?”

“I don’t know, Buck.” He reaches out taking Steve’s hand.

Anthony appears with Virginia next to him, holding her hand. “We are the light and the dark and for too many millennia to count this place has been kept safe. The prophecy says that when true love between an angel and demon  comes to pass, this place would be home to only those two.” They look at each other and then back at Steve and Bucky. “But we can probably bend those rules a little if you wanted visitors.” Tony shrugs. “I’d like to come back now and then to see how you’re doing. And I’m sure Pepper would too.”

She tries to glare at the demon for using her nickname, but it fails. “Tony, I swear to myself that you never change.”

“Where would be the fun in that?” She snorts, but Steve and Bucky still look confused. “Listen kids, we sealed this place off so long ago we both forgot it was here. Then Mr. ‘I’m not going to heaven if I can’t have my husband’ comes along and poof…here we are.”

Virginia knows they are still lost. “Steve, Bucky, this is The Garden.” There’s eyes get huge. “Yeah, that one and according to the prophecy, only…how do I put this…well you two are the only ones that can live here.”

Bucky steps away from Steve. “For how long?” Something this good could only be short-lived.

“Forever. That’s the thing, you and Steve, you weren’t supposed to happen. When he accidently summoned you, it wasn’t in any of the books.” Anthony looks at Virginia and indicates for her to admit the other side.

She huffs. “When Steve arrived, according to his life book, he never married. It wasn’t supposed to happen. Hell, it wasn’t supposed to be possible.” She goes over to Steve, putting a hand on his shoulder. “But it did and now you have an eternity together.” 

They’re gone after that and Bucky turns to look at Steve. “Let me see if I got this, you stormed Hell to find me.”

Steve blushes, but can’t help the smile. “It worked didn’t it.”

They embrace again and then start laughing. “I missed you so much.” Leaning away, Steve takes Bucky’s lips and a heated kiss. “You’re still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Bucky looks up into those blue eyes that are full of life again. “Not nearly as beautiful as you.” Then he quirks an eyebrow with that smirk. “Now, if I remember my history correctly, the people that lived in The Garden before us, spent all of their time naked.”

Steve doesn’t even care that Bucky’s joking, he immediately starts stripping out of his clothes. Bucky is stunned and Steve freezes as he’s pulling his pants off. “What?”

“You’re going to be naked all the time and I’m going to be horny all the time.” Steve snorts.

“Bucky, get your clothes off and you’re already horny.” Steve grazes his fingers across Bucky’s horns.

“That was the worst joke.” When the clothes finally hit the ground, Steve tackles Bucky to the ground.

“Maybe, but I got you naked.” Lifting up, to look down at his demon husband, Steve smiles. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Now get in me, it’s been too long.” Steve does as his husband asks with a smile.


	27. You had Me from Hello

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alpha Cap Bucky meets omega artist Steve.

“Oh shit...fuck...I’m so sorry!” Steve reaches down to help the poor guy up, dropping the bags he’s carrying to get his balance right. He silently curses the black ice and reaches down to get a good grip on the man trying to get up.

Steve’s relieved to hear the guy chuckle. “No problem, I don’t think I bruised anything and even if I did, it will heal pretty quick.”

Steve has no idea what that means until he’s standing face to face with Captain America. “Oh...so...okay...no bruising makes more sense.”

Captain America brushes himself off and then looks up, freezing for a split second. “Are you okay?”

Steve doesn’t expect to react, but it’s really hard under the scrutiny of those eyes. There’s something serious with a hint of mirth, but they also are a color that Steve can’t pinpoint and he’s an artist. “Oh...uh...yeah, I’m good. I really am sorry. I started to go down and grabbed the first thing, which was you, so sorry.”

Cap reaches up, brushing his hand through his chestnut hair and Steve watches the motion avidly. “I’m glad I could save you, part of the job  description and everything.”

Steve snorts a laugh. “There’s a big difference between saving a falling artist and killing aliens.” That gets a snort in return.

“I don’t know, I  kinda prefer this to the aliens. I didn’t get any goo on me this time.” Steve barks a laugh and doesn’t notice the way the man is watching him. When Steve’s merriment subsides, Cap offers his hand. “I’m Bucky.”

The artist is shocked, he’s not sure why, but this man is offering his name and not his title. Taking the offered hand, Steve feels a shiver run down his spine. “I’m Steve.”

Bucky starts gathering the bags to offer back to the man that dropped them. “You said you’re an artist. What kind of art?”

That’s unexpected, but Steve goes with it. If Captain America wants to talk for a few minutes, he’s definitely okay with that. “Well, that depends. If you ask my editor, I draw comics for a living, but if you ask me, I paint and have a show day after tomorrow.”

“Where’s your show?” Bucky clinches his eyes shut because that might sound creepy to the artist. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Steve chuckles and heads in the direction of home. Bucky still has three of his bags in hand and follows. “I don’t mind.” The artist smiles and Bucky’s heart does a flip. “There’s a gallery a few blocks that way,” Steve points with the bags in his left hand, “called Florence. The owner of the gallery is a friend of a friend, but likes my work. I’ve never had a show before, so a little nervous, but really excited too.”

Bucky grins and Steve can’t help returning it. They stop in front of a brownstone and Bucky looks up. It’s a really nice place and figures the artist must do well. “This is nice.”

Steve looks up, appreciating how his home looks with lights over the porch and in the windows. “Yeah, Ma left it to me when she moved out to Montauk.” Steve looks back at Bucky and shakes his head. “Do you have this effect on all people, or is it just me?”

Bucky tilts his head in question. “I don’t...”

“I keep telling you things about me and you don’t care.” Steve chuckles, looking down at the ground.

Bucky frowns and starts to reach out, but stops himself. “I like it. I like that you’re talking to me like I’m just another guy on the street.” 

Steve barks with laughter that lights his face up and Bucky can’t take his eyes off this man. “Well Bucky, you are just another guy on the street that I knocked down.”

Bucky can’t help but chuckle at that. “It was nice meeting you, Steve.”

Steve turns up the sidewalk towards the stairs after taking the other bags from Bucky. “It was nice meeting you too, Buck.” 

Bucky stays long enough for Steve to get inside and then makes his way back to the Tower. Long walk or not, it gives him time to think about the man he just met. Waking up in this new century hasn’t been bad, Bucky misses his family, his friends, but he’s made new ones, some more invasive than others. Natasha seems determined to find Bucky a mate, Tony seems determined to just get Bucky laid, but they’re good people. Things have been good and until being knocked down on the street, Bucky hasn’t thought a lot about mates or dating, but he sure is now. He has no idea what designation Steve is, but he also doesn’t care. The man is a few inches taller than Bucky with muscles in all the right places, blue eyes like the afternoon sky and that neatly trimmed beard frames  lips that daydreams are made of. 

Pulling out his phone, he calls Pepper. “James, what can I do for you?”

“Pepper, there’s a gallery in Brooklyn called Florence. Day after tomorrow they are having an  exhibition and I’d like to go. Can you make that happen?”

She hums and he knows she’s checking the website. “Well James, it looks like I was sent a couple of tickets and Tony hates these things. Would you like to be my date?”

Bucky chuckles. “I would love to be your date.”

“You going to tell me what this is all about?” She’s fishing and he’s not giving up anything until he has to.

“Nope, but I’m sure that night, you’ll be able to figure it out.” He gets another hum and she hangs up.

Steve gets into the house and leans against the door. Dropping the bags, he sighs longingly. He knows that when people look at him, they see an alpha, but he’s all omega. He doesn’t tell anyone that and most people don’t ask, but deep down inside, all Steve’s ever wanted was to be an artist and have an alpha mate. Someone that just knew him and could give him the life he’s always wanted. It may be old-fashioned, but building a home with someone, it’s Steve’s dream.

Stepping further into his house, taking his jacket off, he fills the space with the scent of happy omega. He loves this place and after his mother gave it to him, he had it remodeled. The kitchen and the studio are his happy places because that’s where he gets to create. The tree stands by the back window and is eight feet of elaborate lights and decorations, some old, some new. He’ll take the train to Montauk on Christmas morning to spend the day with his mother, but tonight he’s going to bake and wrap presents and think about the most famous alpha on the planet. 

He’s sure that somewhere in this grand city that he loves, that famous alpha has someone special. He’s been pictured with many different women, and Steve’s sure that Bucky has connected with one of them. How could he not? Captain James Barnes, AKA Captain America, is special in so many ways. Tonight, just proved that. He’s kind and considerate and gives back by saving the city time and time again. He goes to hospitals and sits with kids, reading to them, or just answering their curious questions.

Steve could never catch the eye of someone like that, but talking with him tonight was enough to make the omega sigh happily. Before going to bed, he wraps all of the gifts and makes gingerbread the way his Ma taught him. He drifts off to sleep thinking about those steel-blue eyes and kind smile.

Before heading out to the gallery the next morning, he calls a messenger service to come and pick up the white pastry box. Steve’s not sure if it will make it to the right person, but hopefully it will and if not, maybe the security people that confiscate it will enjoy the cookies. They won’t understand the note, but Steve doesn’t worry about that.

Bucky sits in the conference room trying to figure out why there’s a meeting on the 22 nd of December. There isn’t a mission, just Fury talking about some changes that he wants to implement. If Bucky knows Tony, the billionaire is taking all of this with a grain of salt and the team will do what it wants. One of the security people from downstairs comes into the room carrying a small white box. Fury frowns at her, but she doesn’t flinch. 

“I apologize Director Fury, but this was delivered for Captain Barnes downstairs and I think it’s important that he gets it.” Fury nods and she walks the box over to Bucky. He thanks her and makes a mental note to get her a coffee next time he’s downstairs. Anyone that doesn’t flinch at Fury’s glare deserves that much.

Pulling the note from the top of the box, Bucky opens it, aware that all eyes are on him. He looks at the signature at the bottom and grins.

_ Bucky, _

_ Sorry again for knocking you down last night. As an appropriate apology I thought you’d enjoy this. Have a great Christmas. _

_ Steve _

Opening the box, Bucky’s grin only grows. Inside the box are gingerbread men like his Mom used to make. There are two and he pulls one out and takes a bite. It’s exactly  like his Mom’s and transports him back almost 80 years.

“Hey, why does he get cookies delivered and we don’t?” Clint watches with envy in his eyes. Natasha tries to snag the note, but Bucky’s too quick for her.

“Nope Romanov, sometimes you don’t need to know everything going on with everyone.” She glares and Bucky looks back up and nods at Fury. The man drones on about whatever the hell he saying and Bucky finishes the first cookie and gets the other one from the box. Yeah, this is definitely going to be a good Christmas because Bucky’s not letting this beautiful man get away.

After the meeting Pepper waits for him in the communal kitchen. “JARVIS tells me that you got a surprise in the meeting this morning. Does this have anything to do with the gallery exhibition?”

Tony stands at the coffee maker and pretends like he isn’t listening. Bucky knows better, but figures that Tony will find out anyway. “It does.”

Stark turns and leans against the counter while Bucky  tells Pepper about his encounter last night. “You like him?”

Bucky shakes his head. “Pepper, I can’t even explain it, but it was just so easy.”

Tony comes over, no longer trying to pretend he’s not listening. “Good on you, Cap.” Bucky raises his eyebrows in surprise. “Why is everyone so shocked that I can be happy for a friend. You’ve been pushed and pulled in every  direction since coming out of the ice, it’s about damn time you had something for yourself.”

He leaves the room and Pepper looks over at Bucky. “He likes to act like he doesn’t care, but he’s really just a marshmallow inside.” Bucky snorts a laugh and Pepper pats his arm. “Tomorrow evening, I’ll meet you in the garage at 7 and we’ll see if we can’t make this happen for you.”

Bucky looks the gallery up later and finds that the artist’s name is Steve Rogers. He does a search and finds everything from where the man grew up to where he went to school. What he doesn’t find is any indication of designation. It’s not that it matters, it’s just good to know this kind of thing going in. On social media, he finds pictures of Steve with a woman that has to be his mother. He sees pictures of Steve from when he was younger and looks like a stiff wind could blow him over. Puberty must have hit like a freight train. He has to be an alpha and that’s just fine by Bucky.

Steve stays at the gallery most of the day, making sure that the paintings are hung just the way he wants. The curator, Jack Riley, has become a friend since this whole thing started. He’s also a fan of the comic that Steve created and draws. “Steve, why won’t you let me fix you up with anyone. I know so many single women.”

Steve rolls his eyes and turns the lighting on the painting so that it highlights the shadows. “Well, for one thing, I’m not interested in women, so that would be a bust.”

“And what’s the other thing? Do you have someone in your life that I don’t know about?” They negotiated this show for months and in that time built a friendship along with it. Steve doesn’t answer and just keeps looking at the painting. “That’s it, isn’t it? You have someone in your life that you are keeping secret.”

Steve lowers his head and sighs. Bucky flashes through his mind and he chuckles mirthlessly. Finally, meeting Jack’s eyes, he shakes his head. “No, there’s no one.” Jack quirks an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest. “Okay, so last night I met someone and...I don’t know...it was just easy.” Jack looks thrilled and bounces up on his heels. “BUT, it’s not going to be a thing because he’s not...Jack he’s so far out of my league. Like I’m just a normal guy and he’s really, really not.”

“Dude, who did you meet?” Steve wrestles with himself about saying anything, but he also knows that Jack won’t say anything to anyone, not even his husband if Steve asks.

Coming off the ladder, Steve pulls Jack aside. “If I tell you, will you promise not to tell anyone, and I mean, anyone?” Jack nods and looks around to make sure there isn’t anyone around. “I bumped into Bucky Barnes last night.” Jack looks confused with a furrowed brow and then the lightbulb goes off and he puts a hand over his own mouth to stop himself from screaming. “Yes,  _ that _ Bucky Barnes.”

Jack pulls him even further away from the other people helping in the set up. “What the hell, man? You ran into Captain America and that isn’t the first thing you tell me when you walk through the door this morning? I thought we were friends!”

Steve laughs. “Listen, it’s not a big deal and someone like that, they don’t go for someone like me.” Steve looks back at the displays. “And let's be honest here, he’s got to have someone in his life, right?” Jack gives Steve a look like he’s out of his mind. “No, now listen, that organization that he works for, they probably found him an omega right off the bat. You know, something to give him a connection to the here and now.”

Jack thinks long and hard about telling Steve about the call he got this morning. He thinks about telling him that Pepper Potts called confirming her attendance and that her date for the evening wouldn’t be Tony Stark, but Captain Barnes. He thinks about giving Steve a heads up, but decides it will be more fun for him and Sam to watch how this little drama unfolds. “I don’t know about that, Steve, but I’ll let it go.” Steve nods and Jack starts to walk off. “For now.” Jack goes straight to the office and calls Sam.

The night of the 23 rd Steve is feeling restless and insecure. He knows that he’s talented, but all of his acclaim has come from the comics and not from his other art. Tonight, will tell if he can break into this new forum. Jack sends a car for him and when Steve exits the vehicle at the gallery, he’s surprised to see so many people already there. He unbuttons his coat and steps inside. Jack meets him at the door, takes his coat, hands him a glass of wine, and pushes him into the crowd. Steve Rogers is an impressive figure: tall, blond, and by all standards ridiculously handsome, but he’s not always good with people.

Several of the older women seem to be more interested in Steve giving them a ‘private’ showing, some of the men are the same. He extricates himself from those situations with the help of Jack and Sam. The serious art enthusiasts talk to Steve about his inspiration and technique. One woman stops him to talk with him about a particular piece. It’s one of the large ones that she says will look incredible in the natural light of the atrium of the building she works in.

She finally introduces herself as Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries. She’s very knowledgeable about art and they talk for a long while about his training. “When I got the invitation, I looked you up and have to admit, I’m not into comic books, but yours are an impressive. The artwork is amazing and the story was enough to draw me in.”

“Well, thank you, Ms. Potts. Comics aren’t for everyone, but they pay the bills.” She laughs delightedly and then seems to see someone over her shoulder. “Mr. Rogers, I’d like you to meet my date for this evening.”

Steve turns to greet who he thinks will be Tony Stark, but freezes when he sees, “Bucky?”

Bucky offers his  hand; which Steve immediately takes. “Steve, how are you?”

“I’m... I”m good. What are you doing here?” Bucky doesn’t let go of Steve’s hand, stepping in closer to the artist. Pepper’s eyes light up and everything Bucky told her the day before makes sense.

“Well, Tony doesn’t do well around civilized people and I asked Pepper if I could come with her. You did tell me you were having a showing tonight, remember?” Steve just sighs because Bucky’s blue eyes are even more mesmerizing than he remembered. 

“Oh...uh, yeah. I remember, but didn’t expect you to show up.” Pepper excuses herself to go talk to Jack and Bucky offers his arm to Steve and the omega takes it. 

“So, of everything you have hanging tonight, which one is your favorite?” Steve sniggers and pulls at Bucky’s arm, leading him into a small alcove.

Hanging under a single light for depth, is a painting about the size of an album cover. It’s a swirl of blues and greys with what appear to be shadows,  silhouettes of people. “This one.”

“Why?” Bucky watches Steve’s face as he stares at his own work. “What makes this one so special to you?”

There’s a huff that catches Bucky by surprise. “Sometimes I forget where all this started.” He takes his arm back, steps back, and looks down at the floor. Something in the artist’s face tells Bucky that he’s about to reveal something important. “When I was a kid, I was sick, like really sick and I couldn’t get out of bed. I missed a lot of school and never had any friends.” Steve looks up at the painting. “My Ma gave me things to keep me busy and not so bored. Painting was one of those things. This is my favorite because it represents how I felt when I realized that I could do something I liked even though I was stuck inside.”

Bucky steps up into his personal space, cupping Steve’s cheek. “Are you still sick, Steve?” Worry colors the man’s words and expression.

The artist shakes his head. “When I hit puberty and presented, my body  sorta leveled out.”

“Being an alpha helped you.” Bucky notices the shock in Steve’s face. “What?”

“Bucky, I’m not an alpha, I’m an omega.” The super soldier nearly drops his glass of wine.

Steve leaves the gallery close to 2 while Jack excitedly dances around at how many sales they made. Once Pepper bought the first piece, it was like everyone had to have a Steve Rogers. Jack doesn’t tell Steve that Captain Barnes bought the one that they talked about. As he steps out into the night, Bucky is waiting next to a car. “Bucky?”

“Can I give you a ride home, Steve?” The young artist doesn’t really know what to say, so he nods. Bucky opens the back door and Steve climbs in with Bucky following. There’s a privacy window between them and the driver, so Steve relaxes a little. 

The silence stretches until Steve is uncomfortable. Bucky keeps staring at him and it’s becoming unnerving. Feeling shy, he doesn’t look over at the super soldier. Staring out at the passing lights, Steve takes a deep breath. “What is this about, Bucky?”

He doesn’t turn until there’s a hand taking his own, then Steve looks over, surprised. “This is about me wanting to court you, Steve. I know things are different now, but I won’t give up some of the ways I’m used to. Granted, I’ve never courted anyone before, but I want to now.”

“Why? Because I’m an omega, because I’m a...” Steve’s voice gets hard and calloused. 

“Now, just a damn minute! I wanted to court you before I knew your designation. Why the hell do you think I came tonight? You being an omega is a shock, but I wouldn’t care if you were designation neutral! I like you, Steve and I wanna be with you.” Bucky’s breathing hard and glaring at the blond.

“Okay, I’m sorry, but usually people want to date me because they think I’m something I’m not and if I tell them I’m an omega, which I don’t usually, they get this horrified look. Bucky, by the standards of everyone I’ve dated so far, I’m a freak. I don’t fit the stereotype of what they think I should look like.” Bucky reaches back over, taking Steve’s hand. “Hell, I may not look it, but all I’ve ever wanted is a home and family.”

“Then give me a chance, Steve.” Steve squeezes his hand and Bucky smiles. “I’m sure you have Christmas plans, but if you aren’t busy tomorrow, we’re having a Christmas Eve dinner at the Tower. I can pick you up if you’re free?”

“Yeah, okay.” Steve freezes for a minute. “Wait, who exactly is going to be at this dinner?”

“The team, Pepper, Happy.” Bucky points at the driver. “That’s really it.”

Steve swallows deeply. “By team, you mean the Avengers.” Bucky nods. “Yeah...okay...sure...I can do this.”

“I can’t do this.” Steve sits on the end of his bed and wishes he could back out of this. He called his Ma earlier in the day and told her what was happening. She laughed delighted about this new development. Going back into the closet, Steve comes out with a blue/gray sweater and a pair of dark blue jeans. He checks the text from Bucky again and it clearly says to dress casual. Putting the clothes on, he styles his hair and grabs his brown boots. The knock on the door startles him and he has to stop for a second before opening it, just to take a deep breath. When he does open it, he’s not prepared for what he finds.

Bucky’s wearing an off-white cable knit sweater and faded jeans. His eyes sparkle and his lips turn up into a gentle smile when he sees Steve. “You look amazing, Steve.”

Steve has to clear his throat to get any words to come out. “You look better.” Those were not the words he meant to come out, but the blush on Bucky’s cheeks makes it okay.

“You ready?” Steve nods, grabs his coat and locks up the door. Happy is driving them again and greets Steve like it’s a normal thing for him to be holding hands with Bucky. They slide into the backseat and Bucky doesn’t let go of his hand all the way back to the Tower. 

“Anything I need to know before we get there?” Bucky’s been watching him the whole ride and can see how nervous the artist is.

“The only thing you need to know is that Pepper already likes you. If Pepper likes you, you’re in.” He emphasizes his point by squeezing Steve’s hand.

“What about you? Do you like me, Buck?” The super soldier slides further across the seat into Steve’s space.

“I like you more than everyone else.” Steve sucks in a breath and throws caution to the wind, leaning in to give Bucky a quick kiss. It’s chaste and nothing spectacular, but the warmth Steve sees in Bucky’s eyes is enough to tell him that he’s done the right thing.

“I like you too.”

Happy rides the elevator up with them, since he’s part of dinner too. When the doors open, Happy steps out into a completely silent room. All eyes are on the two men coming out of the elevator, holding hands. Tony pushes forward, looking Steve up and down. “You didn’t mention that he’s huge, Cap.”

Bucky rolls his eyes and Steve looks over at him. “Tony, it would be great if you could try to act like a decent human being tonight.”

Pepper sweeps over, taking Steve’s hand. “Steve, it’s really good to see you and please ignore Tony, he’s always like this. It’s why we put him in timeout in his lab most days.”

Steve doesn’t release Bucky’s hand. He’s introduced to the team and finally  lets go of Bucky long enough to remove his coat. Before walking away to put the coats up, Bucky kisses Steve’s cheek. “You’re going to be fine.”

Natasha comes over, linking an arm with Steve and pulling him towards the bar where Thor is mixing drinks. “What’s your poison, Rogers?”

“Oh...uh...just a beer?” Thor pops the top on a bottle and hands it over.

“We have been very curious about you.” Steve looks up into Thor’s eyes. Thor leans in, whispering. “Our good Captain has been adrift since waking in this new time, but you, my friend, make him smile.” Steve looks over at Natasha and she’s smiling kindly at him.

“Barnes isn’t always forthcoming with information about himself or his likes and dislikes, but we were warned against upsetting you or trying to chase you away. He likes you, Rogers.” She clinks her glass against his beer and gets up to go mingle.

Bucky comes up, wrapping an arm around Steve. The warmth of his hand against Steve’s back is settling. Thor gets him a beer, then goes to help Clint move tables for dinner. Bucky leans in to kiss Steve’s cheek and starts whispering. “Thor is probably the most genuine person you’ll ever meet. I really don’t know how he and Loki are related.” He uses the beer bottle to point at Clint. “Clint is a walking dumpster fire, but I’ve never met anyone that can hit a target like he can. Just don’t talk to him in the mornings until he’s had an entire carafe of coffee.: Steve snorts. “Bruce is the exact opposite of Hulk. He’s quiet and reserved and really wouldn’t hurt a fly. Natasha likes to think that she was my first friend when I came out of the ice, but I didn’t really trust her. I gave her just enough so that she wouldn’t push.” Steve looks over surprised by that admission. “We’re friends now, but it was slow going. Now, Tony Stark is the biggest enigma. He comes across as crass and uncaring, but he’s done more than he would be comfortable with me telling you. Just know that his employees have better health care than anyone in the country and there are daycares on every floor of the tower. He’s a marshmallow.”

Steve snorts. “He would kill you for telling me that.”

“Yeah, that’s why I told you.” He kisses Steve’s cheek again and then Steve turns, giving him a quick peck to the lips. It causes Bucky to beam at him.

The dinner is relaxed and the team picks on each other like siblings. Steve watches the interactions and catalogues them. If he’s going to be with Bucky, he wants to understand this complicated dynamic. As they ride back to Steve’s brownstone, Bucky sits closer than he did earlier. Steve leans into the warmth and wonders if this is really going to happen. “They like you.” Steve leans his head against Bucky’ shoulder. “I mean, they really like you.”

“I like them too.” He looks up, not realizing how close he is to Bucky. Rubbing their noses together, Steve smiles soft and warm. “I’m glad they like me. I wouldn’t want your family to be against this.”

Bucky gives him a careful peck to the lips. “It wouldn’t matter if they were, I’d still want this.”

They say a chaste goodnight at the door and Bucky watches Steve click the door closed. When he gets back in the car, Happy grins into the rearview mirror. “You seem happy, Cap.”

“I don’t think I have ever been this happy.” Knowing that he isn’t going to see Steve tomorrow makes Bucky uncomfortable. “Happy, if I want to send some flowers, can JARVIS do that?”

“Sir, JARVIS can do anything you need him to do.”

Bucky sends a text to JARVIS for information and then orders the flowers he wants sent. 

Steve wakes the next morning to a text.  _ ‘Merry Christmas, Steve. Check your front door.’ _ Jumping out of bed, Steve runs down the stairs and throws open the door. On the step is an insulated bag. Frowning in confusion, he picks it up and carries it into the kitchen. Inside is a coffee and pastries from a place in Midtown. There’s also really expensive gloves and a scarf. The note inside simply says,  _ ‘So you don’t get cold when I’m not there.’  _ The sappy, love-sick smile is sure to stay on Steve’s face all day, but he’s got to get ready and get to the train station.

He isn’t expecting to step out the front door an hour later with bags and bags of gifts and find a jet sitting in the middle of the street. The ramp on the back lowers and Bucky comes down, dressed similar to Steve in faded jeans and a white sweater. “Bucky?”

“Morning beautiful.” Steve blushes furiously. “I thought it would be faster to take the jet to your mom’s instead of the train.”

Steve stumbles down the steps, unsure about what’s happening. “I don’t understand.”

Bucky takes the bags from Steve’s hands and heads to the jet. Steve doesn’t have a choice, but to follow. “Well, last night I called your mom to ask her permission to court you.” It’s exceptionally old fashioned, but it warms something inside of the omega. “She gave me her blessing and also asked me to come to Christmas dinner.” Bucky presses the button and the ramp closes behind them. “I hope that’s okay.”

Steve throws himself into Bucky’s arms and the alpha drops the gifts and wraps his omega into a tight hug. “Yes, that’s perfect. I didn’t like the idea that I wasn’t going to see you today.”

Pulling back, Bucky reaches up, cupping Steve’s face. “I know it’s only been four days since we met, but this is it for me, Steve. I’m not playing with this and I hope you know that.”

Nodding because he’s not sure he trusts his own voice right now, Steve burrows back into Bucky’s warmth. Clearing his throat, he lets the alpha go. “So, how long will it take us to get there in this thing  ‘cause it doesn’t look like a normal jet.”

Bucky takes his hand and pulls Steve to the front of the jet. “It’s going to take about 15 minutes, so strap in.”

Sarah Rogers is petite and Bucky is amused by how careful Steve is around her, but how she’s definitely a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen and he suspects everywhere else. She hugs the stuffing out of her son and Steve’s face is soft when looking at her. Turning to Bucky she puts her hands on her hips, assessing him. Steve rolls his eyes, but only behind her back. “So, you’re the one that wants to court my Steven and tried to butter me up with those flowers.”

Steve tries to step around her, but she puts up her hand and he freezes. Bucky grins and takes her hand, kissing it with  reverence . This woman brought his Steve into this world and raised him into the man that he is. “Yes ma’am, I very much want to court and marry your son.”

Steve’s eyes bug out at the admission. “Bucky?”

Sarah winks at the alpha and Bucky looks over her shoulder at Steve. “I told you that you’re it for me, Steve. I’m not playing any games.”

Sarah takes Bucky’s arm and leads him into the house. Steve follows weighing what he’s just heard. “Now, tell me what interests you have other than throwing that big frisbee around.”

Bucky barks a laugh and looks over at Steve who is, again, rolling his eyes. “Well, I’ve become a fan of art recently.”

The flowers that Bucky sent sit on the side table in the living room. They’re an elaborate arrangement of lilies and roses. As they sit talking and having coffee, Sarah points over to them. “Did Steven tell you that my favorite flower is lilies?”

Bucky grins, shaking his head. “No ma’am, they were also my Ma’s favorites, so I gave it a shot.”

Sarah looks up at the clock and over at the bags of gifts. “Steven, I know you brought gifts for the kids, so why don’t you walk those down to Megan’s house while Bucky and I talk.”

Steve looks terrified by that prospect. “Ma...”

Sarah grins at her son. “I’ve already given him permission to court you, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t have a few things to say to the man.” Bucky looks a little nervous, but nods at Steve. Sarah Rogers is a good woman and raised an even better man, so if she wants to give Bucky the shovel talk, he’s willing to listen and heed her words. “One of Steven’s high school friends lives a few houses down and Steve brings her kids something every time he comes to visit. He’s a good boy.” 

Steve stands, and goes for the bags. “Buck, whatever she’s going to threaten you with, please forgive her.” He’s giving Bucky and his Ma a smirk and she gets up to swat him in the butt.

“Get your ass out of here, Steven Grant Rogers.” Sniggering all the way out the door, Bucky looks on with the same love-sick expression that he’s been wearing since meeting Steve four days ago.

“You’re in love with him already, aren’t you?” Bucky nods and starts to explain how that’s possible in a short amount of time. Sarah shakes her head and holds up a hand to stop him. “I’m in no position to criticize anyone on that.” She looks over at a painting hanging over the mantel. “I met Joseph on a Tuesday and we were mated on Friday.” Bucky looks at her with a wide expression. “Yes, when it’s right, it’s right.”

“Ma’am, the night I met Steve,” She giggles because she’s heard the story of Steve knocking him down, “I knew the minute I looked at him that he’s the one.”

“That’s good. I have something for you and I didn’t want Steve here when I gave it to you.” She gets up and opens the drawer for the table where the flowers are sitting. She brings a small bag over and plops it in his hand.

Pulling the draw strings back, Bucky upends the bag into his hand. A gold wedding band falls out. Looking up, he’s shocked. “What...”

“That’s Joseph's wedding ring. He left it with me when he shipped out and he never came home.” She sits on the sofa next to him and cups her hands around his. “You promise me that you’ll always  _ see _ Steve, never take him for granted, and love him with everything you are.”

“I swear on my family that there will never be a day that Steve doubts how much I love him.” She leans in, kissing his cheek.

“Now that’s done, you’re going to help me get dinner ready and from this point on, Bucky Barnes, you are to call me Ma.” Steve finds the two people he loves the most in the kitchen when he returns. Whatever his Ma wanted to say to Bucky doesn’t seem to have fazed the super soldier a bit. Sarah turns on music and alternates dancing with her two boys as they ready the food. Bucky moves her around the kitchen with grace and ease, Steve is a little stiffer, but gets the job done.

As they fly back to the city, Steve watches Bucky. “I want you to stay with me tonight.”

Bucky presses a couple of buttons, then turns in the pilot seat. “Steve, you don’t hafta...”

Steve smiles softly. “I know I don’t  hafta , but I  wanna . I know you want to court me and I have to admit that I like that idea, so I’m not  sayin that I  wanna have sex with you. I’d just really like to know what it’s like to wake up with you.”

“I’d like that too.” He goes back to the controls and changes a few things. “I’m going to land at the Tower so I can pack a bag. We’ll take a car back to your place.”

They arrive back at Steve’s just before midnight. As they lock the door behind them, Bucky turns, cupping Steve’s cheek and kissing him lightly. “Merry Christmas, Steve.”

“ Merry Christmas , Bucky.”

Bucky doesn’t return to the Tower, so when his phone goes off on December 31 st , he knows who it is and what they want. “Cap. ..El Capitan ...Cap- cicle ...we haven’t seen your face in days and we’re starting to think you abandoned us, your fearless team, your compadres. We  gonna see you for the party tonight, yes?”

“Tony, you haven’t been to bed yet have you?” Steve rolls over, snuggling into Bucky’s warmth, pulling the covers further up and throwing an arm over the super soldier’s stomach. Bucky leans in, kissing the top of Steve’s blond head with hair sticking up in all directions. Tony gets an evil grin on his face. “Stark, whatever is about to come out of your mouth, you need to reel it back in.”

Steve picks that moment to rub his face on Bucky’s chest and looks up grinning. “Morning.” 

Bucky forgets all about Stark  bearing witness to his beautiful Steve waking up. “Morning gorgeous.”

Tony makes a gagging noise and Steve looks up at the phone. “Morning Tony.” Steve’s sleepy grin makes Tony Stark smile genuinely.

“Morning Rogers, now why haven’t you been back to my Tower.” He’s got to cover how happy he is for Barnes quickly so that no one realizes how much of a softy Tony really is.

“Buck, I thought it was Avengers Tower.” Bucky snorts and pulls Steve even closer. Looking back at the phone, Steve winks at the billionaire.

“You’re a little shit, Steven. But seriously, there’s a party tonight and it’s being kept small because Pepper says that I don’t do well with large crowds of people.” Bucky quirks an eyebrow and Tony huffs. “Fine, she said that if we keep it  small I won’t feel the need to put on the Iron Man suit to impress anyone.”

Steve sniggers and pushes up to go take care of making the coffee. Tony gets  an unobstructed view of Steve’s chest and whistles. Bucky glares at him. “Refrain from saying anything inappropriate and we’ll be at the party tonight.”

“You drive a hard bargain, Cap, but deal.” The call disconnects and Bucky goes in search of his omega.

Steve is stretching up to get the coffee mugs and Bucky just stands in the doorway to the kitchen watching. He’s in just boxers and Bucky looks at the long, muscled lines of the blonde’s body. Restraining himself is becoming very difficult. This isn’t what he expected when he asked to court the omega and they’ve jump past weeks of gifts and dinners, but he also wouldn’t trade going to sleep with Steve and waking up with him. “You’re really beautiful, you know.”

Steve looks up smiling and comes to give Bucky a morning kiss. “I know that physically I’m pleasing to look at, but I’ve never thought of myself as beautiful before you.”

Bucky wraps his arms around the man, pulling him close. “Well, get used to hearing it because it’s going to be an everyday thing.”

The party turns out to be just the team, plus their dates. Steve doesn’t freak out like he did last time, but he does watch for a little while to see the dynamic of the team with dates. It turns out, they’re exactly the same squabbling siblings just with more witnesses. Just after 11, an alarm sounds and the team freezes, then go to the holo-screen that JARVIS lowers just above the table. “What are we looking at, JARVIS?”

Steve sees Captain America for the first time. It’s like a switch is flipped and he’s the leader of the Avengers and not Steve’s Bucky. JARVIS gives them a run down on the conflict and Bucky starts giving orders. Tony goes to Pepper, pulling her close and resting his forehead against hers. There are whispers, but nothing that Steve can make out. Bucky comes to him, pulling him in and just holding him close. “I don’t know...”

“ Ssssshhhh , Buck, it’s okay. Go be a hero and I’ll see you when you get back.” Bucky kisses him affectionately and then pulls Tony towards the lift. Once they’re gone, Steve looks around and now feels uncomfortable. “I’ll...uh...I’ll just go...”

Pepper grabs his arm, shaking her head. “Oh no you don’t, you get to stay here with the rest of us and talk about what it’s like to be the ones left behind.”

“As the only man here, we get to see what it’s like from guy perspective.” He looks over at Dr. Banner’s wife, Betty, and she winks at him.

Steve barks a laugh, grabs a drink and sits with the women to talk about this new feeling that Steve’s having. He’s going to be the mate and husband of Captain America someday soon and this is what it’s going to be like. He’s going to be unsure of Bucky’s whereabouts and that’s going to be harder than Steve thought. But one thing is for sure, it’s going to be worth it.

On the jet back home, having been gone for over a week, Bucky goes to his locker and pulls out the bag that Sarah gave him. He carefully removes the contents, looking at the ring. “ Whatcha got there, Cap?”

Bucky jolts out of his thoughts and turns to look at Clint. “Steve’s mom gave it to me. It was her husband’s.”

Clint leans against the bulkhead. “You  thinkin of  askin him?”

“Yeah, more so now than before we left.” He looks up and Clint’s giving him a quizzical look. “Being called away when we’re supposed to be celebrating New Years and not being able to think about anything but him, I’m not sure why I’m waiting.”

Clint shrugs and sighs. “There’s not a reason. Trust me, when you find it, you know. Do what your heart is telling you to do.” He pats Bucky’s shoulder, then goes to get a bottle of water.

He cleans up as soon as the jet lands and heads for the lift. “Hey Cap, where are you going?” Tony’s watching and Fury is right next to him, looking disgruntled. Looking over, Tony winks at him, so he suspects that his friend knows exactly what’s going on.

“I have a man to propose to! Debrief can wait!” He’s gone right after that.

Fury looks at Tony. “Stark, you get to lead the debrief.”

Tony huffs and rolls his eyes. “Then we can be assured of a quick recap.”

Bucky lets himself into the brownstone and heads up the stairs. All the lights are off and Steve is sleeping peacefully. Bucky hates to wake him, but this won’t wait. Crawling into the bed after kicking his shoes and pants off, he slips an arm around Steve’s waist, scooting up behind him. Steve jerks awake, but settles as soon as he feels the comfort of Bucky’s bulk behind him. “When did you get home?”

The question is unassuming, but the fact that Steve referred to this place as home for Bucky excites the soldier. “Just now.” Steve hums and wiggles back a little more and Bucky tightens his hold. “Steve?” There’s another hum. Leaning in, Bucky kisses the back of his neck. “Will you marry me?”

For several seconds, nothing happens, then Steve is whirling around in the bed to see Bucky’s face. “Bucky?” His hair is all over the place and his eyes are wild, but Bucky’s never seen anything more beautiful in his life. “Did you just...just...”

Bucky holds up the ring and Steve’s eyes grow wider. “Your Ma gave it to me to give to you.” He sits up, leaning in to kiss Steve lightly. “So, will you marry me?”

Steve takes his eyes from the ring and looks at Bucky, tears gathering in his eyes. “Yes, yes, I will marry you.” Bucky slips the ring into place and finds tears dripping onto their joined hands. Some from Steve and some from his own eyes. “I love  you; you know that?”

“Yeah, I know and I love you too.”

_ December 15 _ _ th _ _ a Year Later _

Steve looks at the tree and sighs. Something isn’t right, but he can’t put his finger on what it is. Just as he’s about to make a suggestion, the oven timer dings and he heads into the kitchen _.  _ The gingerbread looks perfect and he sets is aside to cool while he gets the next tray into the oven. Natasha comes in from the hallway with Betty and Pepper following. “What’s wrong with the tree, Barnes?”

Steve looks over and knows that Natasha said it on purpose because she knows that he has a tender affection for his new surname. “I don’t know what’s wrong with it, but something is missing.”

“Maybe you should add some of your old ornaments. Maybe it’s missing a little of the old with the new.” Steve nods and heads back into the living room.

“Natasha, can you take the gingerbread off the baking tray?” He gets an affirmative and opens one of the boxes with his old ornaments and finds some that he remembers from the trees when his dad was still alive. Pepper and Betty help him put them up, but everyone comes to a stop when Steve freezes mid-stretch trying to get one up higher.

“Steve?” Pepper and Betty come over and Natasha comes running from the kitchen.

Steve takes a deep breath and stumbles to a chair to sit down. Leaning back, he closes his eyes and breathes slowly. “Barnes, are you okay?” Natasha’s kneeling next to the chair, hand on his extended abdomen.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. Just stretched too far I guess.” Natasha is on the phone before he stops speaking.

“Sarah, it’s Natasha...” Steve rolls his eyes at Pepper and Betty. They listen to Nat and his Ma talk and when they’re off the phone, Nat helps Steve to stand. He feels the twinge again. “So, your Ma wants us to get you to Tower Medical. According to her, she did the same thing the day you were born.”

Betty squeals and pulls something from her pocket. Going to the tree, she hangs it up. Steve waddles over and looks. It’s a baby’s 1 st Christmas ornament. “Really?” Betty nods furiously and they help Steve into his coat and out the door. A jet is landing as they make it out and Steve can see Clint in the pilot seat. “This is probably a false alarm!”

Clint laughs as Steve waddles to a seat and straps in. “Well, your husband was so freaked out that he wasn’t able to fly. I have orders to get you there as soon as possible, so he doesn’t think that it’s a false alarm.”

Steve pulls out his phone and calls Bucky. The alpha sounds frantic on the other end. “Oh god, baby, are you okay? I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I hate these meetings!”

They talk all the way to the Tower and when Steve shuffles off the jet, Bucky’s there, cupping his face, kissing him breathless. “Okay, okay, get your hands off the omega, so we can get him to the medical floor!” Tony’s has to practically wrestle Steve into the wheel chair, but in the lift he’s glad he’s sitting when that twinge from earlier becomes an  all-out pain.

He squeezes Bucky’s hand, but tries not to give any other indication that anything is wrong. Kneeling next to the chair, Bucky caresses Steve’s cheek. “Breathe, baby, breathe.”

Everyone, except Bucky, are stopped at the double doors. Dr. Cho is waiting and already has the scan that JARVIS did when Steve entered the Tower. “He’s definitely in labor and none of you are the parents.”

Tony looks aghast. “I own this building.”

Dr. Cho looks at Steve. “Steve, do you want Tony back here?”

“Jesus Christ! No!” Everyone laughs, including Tony.

When they get into the birthing room, Steve lifts himself out the chair and Bucky’s face melts with love he didn’t know he could feel when Steve waddles to the bed. “You are so damn beautiful.”

Steve frowns at him. “You just like that you got me pregnant so quick. Damn super soldier sperm.”

Everyone in the room laughs, including Steve. “Alright, let’s get you changed and into the bed so I can check you.”

Bucky helps Steve out of his clothes, kissing over his shoulders, extended stomach and finally his lips before slipping the gown on to cover as much as possible. Bucky’s never been one of those territorial assholes, but Steve’s condition seems to have brought it out in him. Once Steve’s in the bed and his legs are covered, they call Dr. Cho back into the room. With his feet in the stirrups, Steve holds onto Bucky, breathing through the discomfort. Dr. Cho looks over the blanket she draped across him and Bucky looks at her worried. “Is everything okay?”

She nods. “Everything is good and you are definitely in labor. And from the looks of it, you’ve been in labor for  a while .”

Steve looks apologetic. “I’m sorry, but I’ve never done this before and I didn’t realize.”

Bucky leans down, kissing his forehead. “Baby, it’s okay. We’re here and everything is okay.”

They are given instructions for Steve to walk around the floor to speed things along. Bucky takes his hand and can’t help the love-sick look at how Steve waddles along, rubbing his stomach. “I’ve gotten approval for six weeks of leave.”

Steve’s face brightens at that. “Really?” Bucky nods. “I’m really glad you’re going to be home.” 

Steve stops in the middle of the hallway, breathing heavily. “Steve? Baby, what’s...”

“It’s okay, Buck, I’m just having a contraction. This time, I know what it is.” Steve’s stands up too quick and wabbles. “SHIT! I think I left the oven on! Shit, shit, shit! I’m going to burn the house down.” Bucky pulls out his phone and sends a text to Natasha. Within seconds, she’s texted back. 

“Nat turned the oven off and pulled the cookies out.” Steve breathes a sigh of relief. “Baby, you need to relax. And before you worry, I texted Ma and let her know. Tony sent  Rhodey to pick her up.”

They make their walk up and down the hallway until Steve feels like he’s having one contraction after another and Dr. Cho puts him back in the bed to check him again. “Okay, on the next contraction, you’re going to push.” Steve nods.

By the time Sarah is brought into the room, Steve is pushing and Bucky is encouraging him as best as he can. Sarah takes Bucky’s place at the head of the bed and the alpha goes to the end of the bed. “Oh my god! Steve, how the hell are you doing this?” Dr. Cho chuckles and Steve glares at his husband.

One more push and the baby’s head is out, two more pushes and he’s all the way out. Bucky stares down at him like he’s never going to get over the fact that Steve did this. Steve sinks into the pillow, Sarah moves to the end of the bed to look at her grandson, Bucky goes to kiss his husband and mate. “How is he?” No sooner are the words out of Steve’s mouth and there’s a cry from the baby.

The nurse cleans the baby up and hands him over to Bucky, who carries him over to Steve. “He’s perfect.” Sarah stands to the side, tears on her cheeks. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Bucky hands the baby to Steve. Holding out his arm, Sarah takes her son-in-law's hand. “Come see, Ma.” She moves to the bed and Steve looks up at her. 

“Look at how pretty he is, Ma.” Steve raises the little boy up and Sarah takes him. 

Through tears and laughter, she looks down at wild brunet hair and chubby little cheeks. “Oh, you are a darling, little one.” She looks up. “What name did you two decide on?”

Bucky looks at Steve, giving a wink. The blond reaches up, taking one of the baby’s little hands. “Ma, we’d like you to meet, Joseph George Barnes.” Sarah starts to cry harder and pulls the baby up, to cuddle against her neck.

The following day, Steve, Bucky, Joey, and Sarah leave the Tower and return to Brooklyn. Bucky is exhausted, but Steve seems to have more energy than he knows what to do with. He pulls out food to fix for dinner, gets the rest of the dough for the gingerbread out and starts rolling out more cookies. Sarah gets in the kitchen with him and starts helping. Bucky just stands in the doorway, holding his son and wondering how Steve could go through labor and delivery of their little angel and not want to sleep for three days. Just as the timer dings on the cookies in the oven, Joey starts to fuss.

Steve comes over, unbuttoning his shirt and lets the baby latch on, then goes over to check the consistency of the icing for decorating. “How do you do this? I mean, Steve, you just gave birth yesterday and you’re feeding the baby, making cookies, getting ready to decorate  and discussing dinner.”

Moving Joey to his shoulder to burp, Steve comes over, kissing Buck and rubbing their noses together. “My beautiful, worried alpha, I told you this is what I always wanted. Right now, in this kitchen, is everything I’ve ever wanted.” Leaning in, he whispers, only for Bucky to hear. “When I’m all healed up from this one, we’re going to talk about the next one.”

Bucky leans away, looking disbelieving at his husband. “Baby, how many do you want?”

Sarah giggles. “That’s a question you should have asked before this one.”

Steve chuckles. “My plan is six.”

Bucky’s eyes get huge until Steve licks over Bucky’s mating bite and the alpha’s knees get weak. “We can have as many as you want.”

Sarah bellows with laughter. “ Oh, my son, you’ve got that man wrapped around your finger.”

Steve bites his bottom lip and Bucky’s eyes dilate. Pushing Bucky out of his mother’s earshot, with Joey along for the ride, they end up in the living room. He’s very aware that Bucky is aroused and doesn’t feel sorry at all for doing it. “Buck, you alright?”

“Steve, how long does it take you to heal? We have babies to make.”


	28. In the Still of the NIght

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cap Steve meets Bucky in the woods.

Steve wants to run. 

He’s been out of the ice for nearly a year and he hasn’t run in all that time. The itch has been under his skin for that time and he’s tried to avoid it because he knows that no one in this time is aware of his gift. The Howlies knew, Peggy knew, Howard knew and Phillips suspected. Of all of them, it was only Jamie that went into the woods with him because Jamie was like Steve. Different type, but they could run together and never tire of the company. 

The night sky is full of stars that aren’t visible from the city. The land that Steve drives to is familiar, but he has no idea who owns it now. It was part of the Barnes family way back in the before time. He just hopes whoever owns it now doesn’t mind Steve using it to release his true self. He can’t get his clothes off fast enough and puts them into the compartment on the side of his bike. Looking up at the bright, shining light of the moon, he shifts into his fur. 

His wolf is so much bigger than when he was a kid. He’s at least three times the size and pure white. His blue eyes turn up to the sky and he howls out his pleasure at finally getting to run free. There’s a light fog all around as Steve runs into the trees and with the full moon everything takes on a mystical feel. The moon lights the fog like something unearthly and Steve revels in the quality. 

Twisting and turning through the trees, Steve’s been running for hours probably, but time stops meaning anything on nights like this. Making a turn, the wolf freezes in what can only be described as a tunnel of trees. The way the trees bend inward gives the illusion of a gateway into a land that lives in magic. 

A good forty yards away, a creature stands in the middle of the gateway. It stands tall and proud, antlers like a crown. The creature turns to stare at Steve, lowering its head and twisting it to show the weapons that the creature is obviously not afraid to use.. It keeps eye contact with the wolf, blowing out a breath in challenge. Steve yips at the creature, the buck, and hops around wanting a chase, but not for food, just for the fun. 

Lifting its head, and giving Steve a side-eye it turns away, looking back over its shoulder. The creature glows in the light of the moon and snorts again. Steve takes a tentative step forward and the buck takes a tentative step away. Then it’s off and running, calling out to Steve to chase. The wolf doesn’t even think twice and is off and running. The buck moves into the trees, trying to evade the predator that has no desire to catch it. Its only desire is to have a friend to run with again. 

The deer seems to know that it isn’t in any danger and stops when it gets too far ahead to let the wolf get within feet before taking off again. Steve yips and barks to let it know when he’s close. If he didn’t know any better, Steve would think that this buck is smarter than the average animal. They run and jump for longer than Steve realizes when he looks up, sensing the coming dawn. Stopping to look up at the pre-dawn sky, the deer freezes too seeming to watch Steve mourn the loss of the run. 

The buck snorts, gaining Steve’s attention and moves its neck almost like asking the wolf to follow. Steve does because he isn’t ready to leave the trees yet. They're getting close to a clearing and when Steve sees the old, abandoned church, he stops in his tracks. It’s still there and it makes the wolf raise its head to the sky and give a mournful cry. The deer stands at the steps of the church and then goes inside. Steve watches as a golden glow comes from inside and he realizes he’s been running with another shifter. 

The wolf treads to the doorway, looking inside to see the buck, or what was the buck a few seconds ago, pull on a pair of ratty jeans with holes from the thighs to the knees. The antlers still sit atop his head and when the man looks up, Steve staggers and trips over the threshold of the doorway. The man rushes over, raising a hand and letting Steve come to him and fall into his arms. 

“Hey pal, you might want to take it easy.” Steve just lets the man hold him, digging his fingers into the wolf’s fur and making soothing sounds. “Everything’s okay, buddy.” 

Steve gets his paws back under him and stands. He sees a blanket on one of the old, rickety pews and goes over. Shifting with an intense silver glow, he grabs the blanket to wrap around himself. “You look like him.” 

The man’s eyes get enormous when he sees who he’s been running with all night. “You’re Steve Rogers.” 

Nodding, Steve comes forward and in the dim light from a lantern, he can see that the man is more beautiful than the old friend he’s thinking of. “Who are you?” 

The antlers disappear into the man’s head and he rubs the back of his neck. “I’m James Buchannan Barnes,” Steve’s eyes get huge, “Junior.” Steve leans onto one of the pews and sits heavily from the weight of what he just heard. “Jamie was my father.” Shifters age differently, so this man is the baby that Steve heard about from his best friend. Jamie carried the picture that his wife sent with him until the day he died on a mission in ‘44. 

“I should go.” Steve gets up to leave, but the man stops him. 

“You don’t have to go.” Steve turns, looking into eyes that are a color that he’s never seen on anyone else. Jamie’s eyes were blue, but this man has steel blue/gray eyes that seem to look into Steve’s soul. “We wondered if you would come to run here again. Grandma Winnie told me stories of you and dad getting into trouble out here. She said that she wondered if you were still small for a wolf.” He laughs delightedly. “Obviously, you aren’t.” Steve watches how laughing changes the man’s face. “You can call me Bucky.” 

Steve laughs and sits back down, looking over the man. His body is thick in a way that Jamie wasn’t. His well-defined muscles tell of a man that uses his body in both forms. “The serum made me bigger and it effected my wolf. Does your family still own this land?” 

“Yeah, we keep it so that we can all run when the urge strikes. I’m really glad you remembered. You need to run more often.” Steve looks over at him, wondering how he knows. “Come on Steve, it was really clear that you haven’t done this enough. I could almost feel the itch under your skin.” 

Steve chuckles softly and looks down at the floor. “They don’t know about this part of me.” 

“They who?” Steve pulls the blanket tighter around his frame. 

“The team, SHIELD...apparently they left it out of the files. I don’t know what they would do if they found out.” That makes Bucky frown and he moves over to kneel in front of Steve. 

“You come back here anytime you want and run when you need to.” He takes the super soldier’s hand in his own. “Just don’t kill any deer while you’re here. Wouldn’t want to explain that to Aunt Becca.” 

Steve barks a laugh and the man looks up at him in wonder. “Becca’s still alive?” 

“Well yeah, you know we don’t age the same as everyone else. Hell Steve, I’m 69 years old and I don’t look a day over...” He pauses and Steve looks at him. 

“Twenty-five?” Bucky snorts, reminding Steve of the buck he ran with. “Can I come back and run with you?” 

“You better. That’s the most fun I’ve had in years.” Something about this man’s eyes and his sweat-glistening chest pull at the wolf in Steve. Pull at the wolf in a way that no one ever has. 

Bucky gets up and goes to a backpack. Steve watches how graceful he is, even in this form, his bare feet stepping lightly through dust on the floor; the rips in his jeans allow Steve to watch the play of muscles underneath. Pulling out two water bottles and a container, he comes back over. “What’s that?” 

“Well, I’m assuming you remember Grandma Winnie’s ginger cookies?” Steve nods and takes the offered water. Bucky opens the container and it’s filled to the brim with cookies. Holding it out, Steve takes one and when he bites into it, decades of memories come back to him. 

Closing his eyes, Steve lets the feelings wash over him and when he opens them again, Bucky seems on the verge of something. “Bucky?” 

Putting the container to the side, Bucky surges up, taking Steve’s lips with his own. The low moan from Steve, eggs the other man on and the bottles of water hit the floor and roll away. Bucky tries to pull back, but Steve drags him against him, dropping the blanket, so he can feel Bucky’s chest against his own. He’s never kissed a man before, but kissing Bucky feels like coming home. “If you didn’t want me to do that, I’m sorry, but there’s just something about you, Steve.” 

“I wanted you to do that, so much.” Bucky puts his hands on Steve’s chest, feeling the muscles under the smooth skin. Closing his eyes, Steve just lets himself feel. 

“You didn’t have an affair with my dad, did you because that would be weird.” Steve shakes his head and sniggers at the idea. Jamie was his best friend, his brother, his family. Steve never even entertained the idea of this kind of thing with his friend. Bucky is like the moon, a bright, luminescent light, pulling Steve to him. 

“Never even thought about him like this.” Bucky beams at Steve and breathes a sigh of relief. 

“I’m staying here tonight.” He points over at a sleeping bag and runs his fingers over the blanket that’s no longer covering the super soldier. “Stay the night?” 

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Bucky goes to unzip the sleeping back, spreading it out. Steve brings the blanket over and the two men curl up around each other. “Your whole family is deer shifters.” Bucky hums and kisses Steve’s chest. “They aren’t going to have an issue with a wolf in the mix, will they?” 

Bucky starts chuckling. “So, this isn’t you just fucking me senseless and then running off in the morning?” 

“Buck, I’ve been alive a long time and I’ve never been pulled to anyone like you.” Bucky looks up, resting his chin on Steve’s chest. Steve runs his fingers through the man’s hair. 

“That’s good to know because according to the family, I’m a confirmed bachelor.” He leans in, kissing Steve. “I guess I was just waiting for you to come home.” Steve rubs up and down Bucky’s back when the man wiggles away and pulls his jeans off. “You are going to fuck me senseless though, right?” 

Steve tackles him into the pallet, pinning Bucky under him. “Oh, I absolutely am and for the next hundred years or so.” 

“Oh, I like the sound of that.” Bucky turns his nose up, sniffing. Steve does the same. “Rain is coming.” Steve nods and looks up at the roof. “Don’t worry, the roof is new, but it might mean having to stay out here for a day or so. Think you can stand me for that long?” 

Steve runs his nose along Bucky’s throat, inhaling the scent of the man. “Never smelled anything like you.” 

“Keep that up, Mister and we’ll be mated by mid-morning.” Bucky smirks, almost like a challenge. 

Steve looks Bucky dead in the eye and winks. “What do you take me for? I’m going to mate you as soon as I get my dick in you.” 

“You sir, are a man after my own heart.” He leans up, licking along Steve’s neck, causing the blond to shiver. “Let’s get to it then.” 


	29. Your Precious Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a continuation of the previous chapter. If you haven't read "In the Still of the Night" you need to go read that first. There is going to be more chapters that are connected to chapter 28.

“YOU DID WHAT?!” Steve looks around the house in Brooklyn that used to be an apartment building, but sometime over the decades the Barnes family bought the whole building and sectioned it off into multi-level houses. They did the same with other buildings in the area. Steve knew, all those decades ago that Jamie’s family had money, but they never treated Steve like anything except family. Now though, he’s listening to Rebecca Barnes, sister to his best friend, yelling at his mate. Bucky told him to stay in the front living room while he explained their unique situation. Steve blushes from his position on the sofa and looks down at the floor while the kids that came in when they saw Bucky, stare at him. “You went out three days ago to run, Bucky, not to come home with a mate that’s older than me and a wolf!”

“Okay, I get that this is surprising...” Before he can finish, Becca jumps back in. Bucky made Steve swear that he would stay out of this, but it’s a hard thing not to go and protect his beloved. Mating is usually a huge deal with family involved and since they didn’t give the family that, it was going to be touch and go especially since Steve’s a wolf. 

“SURPRISING! You’ve been alone for 69 years and then one morning you come home with Steve Rogers, Captain  Freakin America, best friend to my brother, who is a wolf, James Buchannan Barnes, Jr! A WOLF! You know they eat deer! And we sure as hell don’t bite our potential mate! You’ve got a mark on your neck for god sakes!”

Steve stands at that, looking really uncomfortable with all the kids’ eyes on him. One of them finally comes over and tugs on his pants. Steve looks down and she’s a little thing, maybe four and reminds Steve of Rebecca all those years ago. “Capin ‘ merica , you  gonna eat us?”

Steve kneels down, looking into her big blue eyes. “ Sweetheart no, I would never do that.”

She throws her arms around him and the rest of the kids come over. They seemed unsure before, but whoever this little spitfire is, must be the leader and if she thinks it’s okay, then they can trust that. “You a woof?”

Steve chuckles at the little boy that asks. The kids seem to range from four down to one. There are a couple that are just barely walking and Steve sits on the floor and quickly becomes a jungle gym for the group. He doesn’t mind at all and starts to laugh, making the kids laugh. “Yes, I’m a wolf. Is that okay?”

They all cheer and the little girl that seems to be the leader, sits down in his lap. “We  wanna see.”

Steve shakes his head because the yelling in the other room hasn’t let up. “I don’t think Becca would like that.”

The little girl looks at the doorway leading to the other sitting room. “You knowed Unca Jamie?”

“I did. He was my best friend when we were growing up.” They ask for stories and gather all around and on top of him, listening to stories they’ve never heard before. Things their parents don’t know, things that Grandma Winnie didn’t know, and things that Rebecca doesn’t know. The littlest ones fall asleep pretty quick, but the older ones finally pester him enough that he goes into a hall bathroom, removes his clothes, changes into his wolf, and paws the door until the little leader, who he knows now is Abigail, opens it and squeals in delight.

The other kids stand back at how big he is, but Abigail throws herself at him, arms strain to get around his chest because she barely comes to the tops of his legs. Once the other kids see her bravery, they come to the wolf and start petting him. Steve lets his tongue loll out of his mouth, just enjoying being touched with kindness. He goes back into the sitting room, looking around for a few seconds, then goes to drag the blanket off the back of the sofa. He doesn’t see Bucky and Becca coming from the hallway, Steve just goes over to the little ones, blanket in his mouth and covers them carefully enough not to wake them.

Then the huge wolf, looks down at them with his head tilted, just watching them. They’re so small, so helpless, but all Steve sees is two people’s love made flesh. It’s a thing of great beauty to the wolf. He goes over to the rug by the fireplace, just feet away from the babies, to lay down and watch them. Babies should be guarded, protected, and the older kids seem to understand what he’s doing and come over to join him. They use him as a pillow and Abigail, sits in front of him and is small enough to sit between his front paws and lean against his chest as long as his head is up.

Steve doesn’t see Bucky watching all of this. He and Becca have been watching since he came out of the bathroom. Bucky leans against the wall, watching this man that’s everything and nothing like Bucky expected. He’s caring and kind, exactly like Bucky expected, but he’s also intense and fierce in ways that he wasn’t. Bucky loves him, it’s a by-product of the mating, but there’s also a compatibility that doesn’t come around that often. He knows that it’s happened in his family line, but it’s never happened outside of shifter types. But one thing he's sure of, he loves his mate like nothing he thought possible. Three days and the wolf, laying on the floor, guarding the kids, is everything Bucky’s ever dreamed about and more.

“Okay, that’s pretty damned cute.” Becca, now 94, barely has any gray in her hair, but a few wrinkles on her face. She carries herself like a queen because with the death of Winifred Barnes, Rebecca Barnes is now the matriarch of the family. Deer Shifters are always led by a woman and when Winifred was taken before her time, by a drunk driver, Rebecca stepped up. 

“I told you he wasn’t a danger to kids.” Steve hears his mate and looks over, but doesn’t move because some of the older kids have fallen asleep, cuddled into his fur. Bucky watches his mate like the world revolves around him, and for Bucky it does. “He’s the best man I know.”

“You are going to be difficult to deal with.” She looks over at Steve and he lowers his eyes. “You and I are going to have a long talk.” Steve lowers his head around Abigail and she hugs around his head.

Looking over at her Aunt, Abigail hugs the wolf harder. “No worry, Unca Steeb, I  tect you.”

Rebecca rolls her eyes and walks back down the hallway. “I’m making lunch and everyone is staying.”

Bucky goes over, getting down on the floor, snuggling into Steve’s thick neck fur. “She’ll come around. Like I said, they expected me to die alone.”

Turning his head, Steve nuzzles Bucky’s shoulder where the bite mark is. It was a shock to the deer shifter when Steve really did mate him their first time. With great care and attention, Steve slipped into Bucky’s body, and sank his canines into the man’s neck. Bucky had yelped and come almost at the instant that the bond settled into place. He’d looked up at Steve and seen a man that looked like he was coming apart at the seams and the only thing holding him together was Bucky. Bucky had surged up, kissing his mate, wrapping his legs tighter around Steve’s waist and moved with the thrusts of the super soldier. When Steve looked down, Bucky let his antlers grow, arching into Steve’s movements. Bucky’s eyes gave a golden glow and he pulled Steve down, sinking his own teeth in the blonde’s neck. Once the bond settled, Bucky had never been so content in his life. Deer don’t usually bite their mates, but it seemed like the right thing to do. He didn’t have time to enjoy that contentment too long because Steve was rolling him over and pushing into him again. They spent two days settling the bond and chasing each other through the forest. 

“Steven Grant Rogers, you have to know how this seems.” Steve changed back into his human form once lunch was ready and Becca and Bucky got the kids settled into highchairs or the small table in the corner of the dining room. “You go out to run, which I don’t begrudge you at all, but you mated my nephew who doesn’t know you and truth be told, I don’t know you anymore either, Steve.”

Steve does looks up at that and can’t believe that she would say that. “How could you think you don’t know me? Hell,” he looks around when he realizes that he cursed in front of the kids, but they are all too busy eating and chatting to each other to care. “Becca, I had every Sunday dinner with your family after Ma died, I stood up for you when you wanted to go to college, I’ve run with you more times than I can count, I was your brother’s best friend for all of our lives!”

She looks down at her hands. “Yes, but that was a long time ago and you’ve been through some things that I can’t understand. I mean, for god’s sake, Steve, your wolf is huge now.”

Bucky smirks at Steve and winks. “Yes...he...is.”

Steve blushes furiously and Becca snorts a laugh. “Jesus, James Buchannan Barnes, you are hopeless.”

Steve looks over at his mate and then at Becca. “What can I do to make this okay for the family?”

Becca sighs because this isn’t a mistake she’s seeing, this bonding is good and solid, so she pushes back from the table and goes upstairs. “Steve, I have no idea what’s going on, but if she comes around the door with a gun, run as fast as you can.”

Steve snorts because the Barnes clan never believed in guns, which made Jamie the talk of the family, being a sniper. Becca comes downstairs again, takes her seat, and looks at Steve. “You asked what you could do that will make this okay for the family?” 

Steve nods, taking Bucky’s hand. “I’ll do anything, Becs.”

She flushes, having not heard that nickname in a very, very long time. She opens her hand, taking Steve’s and putting the ring into his palm. “Marry him. For both your clan and mine, mating is the ultimate show of commitment, but we didn’t get to share in that part with the two of you because you couldn’t keep it in your pants, so marry him for all of the clan to see.”

Becca knows that Steve's clan was just him and his mother, but even alone, like he's been for so many years, one wolf does a clan make. She's trying to respect his beliefs along with those of her own clan. Steve closes his hand around the ring, turning to Bucky. “I can’t explain how I knew we were meant to be, something in the run maybe, something about how you smell to me, but I did know. You cared about me that night, you cared about how I would deal with everything and to be honest, since comin out of the ice, there’s been too much input and not enough running.” Bucky chuckles. “Buck, I love you, deep down in that place that I didn’t let anyone get close to, that’s where you live now. I want to keep you just for myself, but shout it from the rooftops too. Marry me so I can keep you forever?”

Becca sniffles and slaps his arm. “Goddamn romantic sap.”

Bucky throws his head back and laughs. “When I realized that you didn’t want to hurt me that night, that you just wanted to run, I knew that whoever was under that fur was going to be a friend. I didn’t expect it to be you and I didn’t expect to  _ see _ you and feel such a strong need to be with you. I didn’t expect you to actually take me as your mate, but when you did, I knew, really deep down, in that place that no one has touched before, that it was right. Yes, Steve, I will marry you for all the world to see.”

Becca looks over at Steve. “If you hurt him,” Steve shakes his head, “No, I guess you wouldn’t. Steve, this is weird for me because he’s Jamie’s son and you are...were, Jamie’s best friend.”

Steve nods. “Becca, I understand, but Bucky is my life now. It just is. I’ll never hurt him because I can’t. I’ll never disrespect my best friend and this family. Tell me what I can do better and I’ll do it to make Bucky happy.”

Becca is just the first hurtle because Steve knows that he’s not going to keep his mate and husband a secret. That  _ would _ be disrespectful to Jamie and the Barnes Clan, not to mention he just could never do that to Bucky. The man looks like something off the cover of a magazine and Steve wants everyone and anyone that’s  ever seen Bucky to know he’s Steve’s. He’s always taken challenges head-on and this isn’t any different. Someone on the team is going to start noticing that Steve isn’t around as much. That someone will either be Natasha or Tony. And when those two get an idea in their head and ‘helping’ Steve fit into this new century has been a mission for them both, they don’t let it go.

Becca starts making phone calls when lunch is over, assuring the clan that Steve is still the same good, decent man that he always was and that the mating is, in fact, solid. She tells them that the two have agreed to marry and the clan will take care of all arrangements. Bucky started to draw the line at that, but Becca told him that if he wanted Steve accepted, this was the only way. Steve just draws him into the back yard and hugs him close enough that they feel like one.

“I don’t give a damn what they make us do, Buck. I just want to be with you for all the years we have.” Bucky crosses his arms over Steve’s chest, looking up at the man. Steve’s arms tighten around his waist, settled on his lower back.

“Are you always going to be this romantic or is this just to suck me into a false sense of security?” Steve barks a laugh and Bucky  watches his eyes as the sparkle.

Leaning in, Bucky knows that Steve’s about to say something that isn’t appropriate. “I can suck you in if that’s what you want.”

Bucky’s forehead  thunks against Steve’s chest. “You are going to be the death of me. Is this a wolf thing with the  libido or is it just a Steve thing?”

Steve kisses up Bucky’s neck and nibbling here and there. “I think it’s just a Bucky thing. Never felt like this before.” Bucky pulls back, looking up at Steve in question. “I told you Bucky, I’ve never been drawn to anyone like I am to you.” Steve buries his nose in Bucky’s neck. “My god you smell so good. I think we need to go home now.”

“We haven’t really talked about where home is going to be, Steve.” Steve scrapes his teeth across the bond mark and Bucky’s breath hitches. “Okay, we’re going to my place. It’s closer.” He grabs Steve’s hand and drags him through the house and out onto the street. “Leave the bike, my place is just over there.” He points across the street and down a building. “I have the last house on the corner.” Steve sweeps Bucky into his arms and carries him down the street and up the stairs of Steve’s new home.

“Are the walls sound-proof?” Bucky giggles all the way inside.


	30. The Stars are Bright Above

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This continues "In the Still of the Night" the wolf Steve and deer Bucky story. I hadn't planned for this to keep going, but here we are. If you haven't read chapters 28 and 29, this isn't going to make much sense.

Steve carefully helps Bucky out of his shirt, then kneels in front of him to remove his boots. “You know I can undress myself.” Steve would think it’s a  reprimand , except when he looks up, Bucky’s looking at him like he hung the moon and stars. 

“I could, but that isn’t me taking care of you.” Setting the boots and socks aside, Steve leans up, kissing his mate. “I want to do everything for you, if you let me. Please let me.”

Reaching down, Steve pops the button on Bucky’s jeans and looks up from under his lashes. “You keep looking at me like that and we won’t make it to the run with everyone else.” Steve chuckles low and Bucky practically shivers at the sound. Every morning, since Steve moved in, he wakes and wonders how he managed to find a mate that adores him to the point of devotion.

In the four months they’ve been mated, Steve and Bucky have come to the woods to run with many combinations of people, sometimes they come alone when Bucky can see the itch under Steve’s skin. When missions go too long and he can’t shift, Steve becomes a jumbled mess. Bucky just puts him in the car and drives out to the woods. The first time it happened, Steve shifted so fast that he ripped his clothes. Bucky thought it was hilarious that Steve had to wrap up in a blanket for the drive back the next day.

Most of Steve’s belongings have been moved to Bucky’s house, taken out of the Tower in small loads. They are building a home together and both men are romantic saps when it comes to the other. Steve brings little things back from wherever missions take him and at least three days a week Bucky gets flowers or some other gift delivered to work. The men and women that he works with think it’s adorable. The deer shifter builds furniture for a living and Steve is intrigued by his use of wood and metal. He tells Bucky that he’s an artist and every time Bucky blushes. 

Today, they are running with the whole family. The wedding is in a month and this is the family’s way of fully accepting Steve into the clan. The wedding is an official ceremony, recognized by the state, this...this run is an official welcome by the matriarch of the family. “Okay, you finish and I’ll undress myself.” As Steve starts to undress, Bucky stops and watches. Steve strips off everything, throwing it over a pew in the church, looking back over his shoulder, and winking at Bucky. The deer shifter can’t believe how truly beautiful his mate is. “See somethin  ya like, beautiful?”

Bucky finishes getting undressed, but before they shift, he goes to wrap his arms around Steve from behind. “You’re everything I like, beloved.”

She doesn’t come into the church, but Becca stands outside the door, yelling. “If the two of you don’t get your asses out here, I’m coming in to get you!” She had allowed them to undress in the abandoned church since Steve wasn’t used to undressing in front of a crowd.

Both men snigger and shift. The wolf buries his nose in his deer’s neck, inhaling deeply, then he raises his nose to the ceiling and howls. The deer snorts because every damn time they  run, his wolf does the same thing. Bucky knows it’s the joy of the mating and also of the run, but he still wishes he could roll his eyes in this form. The wolf snorts and heads for the door, pushing it open and waiting for his deer to go through first. Even in fur, Steve Rogers is a gentleman.

Steve freezes because there’s never been so many family members when they run. There must be a hundred at least, but probably more. What draws his attention though are the kids that he’s become close to. The wolf bounds over to the babies, now tiny, little fawns, hopping around like a huge puppy. The older ones, Abigail especially, bounces in her spotted coat, just as excited to see her Unca Steeb. Steve starts jumping around like he wants to play with them all and they start jumping, kicking out their back legs, uncoordinatedly. Steve lowers his front end to the ground, tail wagging up in the air. He looks over at Bucky, with his stately antlers and regal bearing, and yips. His mate, shakes his head, not saying no, but in resignation that Steve is going to spend the day playing with the babies.

The herd takes off into the woods, but Steve takes up the rear, making sure the babies are safe and carefully watched. When they reach a fallen tree, the mothers of the fawns stand on the other side, encouraging the babies to try to jump. Abigail makes it over and turns to her wolf uncle with her head held high. One of the others, younger than Abigail, tries, but can’t get over. Steve gets behind him and puts his head under the fawn's belly, lifting just enough for the little guy to get footing on the log. Once his hooves get a hold, he pulls himself over the log. He turns, looking very proud at the wolf and Steve yips his happiness. After that, all of the fawns want Unca Steeb to help them over rocks and branches. And with the patients of a saint, he helps every single time. Bucky watches from the trees and wonders if it’s possible to love someone so much that it takes over an entire life. Steve looks up, feeling the swell of affection from his mate. Running to his deer’s side, he licks across Bucky’s neck and runs back to the babies.

Bucky watches all of this with humor and pleasure. He knows the clan is watching, every single one of them are watching how Steve is with the young ones. If nothing else, this will be how the big, blond, beautiful man wins over even the hardest to please. When they reach a stream, the deer go to drink and Steve sits back, watching. He’s not sure what the protocol is for his joining them, so Bucky goes over. Lowering his head, he rubs against his mate's neck. Steve melts into the feeling of Bucky against him. Nothing is as good as Bucky against him. Nothing prepared Steve for what it would mean to have a mate, a true mate, one that he could feel in his bones.

The wolf and deer look at each other and Bucky can see the tears in Steve’s eyes. Nuzzling close, he asks why through the bond. Steve floods the bond so intensely with love and devotion, it nearly knocks Bucky over. He returns the love and devotion with equal intensity. 

That night the family lays out a banquet fit for a wedding reception, but this one is more important. Steve doesn’t really understand it, but for some reason, this run and this food, is the last barrier, the last hurdle, for the family as a whole to welcome him. 

The little ones are asleep in the church when Becca stands, she raises her cup to Steve and Bucky, sitting wrapped up in each other, but still trying to remain social. Steve sits against a log with Bucky between his legs, leaning back on the super soldier’s chest. She clears her throat and they drag their eyes away from each other, blushing at all the eyes watching them. Now, instead of suspicion, the eyes hold amusement. None of them can deny that  these two love each other in any form, but what is shocking to most of them is the face that a wolf and a deer bonded to the degree that they can actually feel the other. That never happens outside of shifter types. 

Becca looks at her nephew and then at her brother’s best friend. “When I was a little girl, I was envious of my brother. He had a friend like no one else. And it wasn’t just that Steve was a good guy, but he was a wolf and I found that very intriguing.” There are some chuckles from the group, including Steve and Bucky. “They were inseparable and at least once a week, Jamie was dragging Steve home to clean him up from a fight.” She looks at Steve with misty eyes. “Every time, Jamie would give him hell for getting into a fight that he couldn’t win and every time, Steve said the same thing.” She nods at him and Steve stands. Bucky’s eyes watch every move with love.

“Every time I said that if I didn’t stand up to the bullies, who would.” Bucky reaches for Steve’s hand and holds on.

Becca comes over to Steve, cupping his cheek. “You were a good man then, but now you are great.” Steve starts to question her, but she shakes her head. “Not because you carry a shield, my old friend, but because you love my nephew like nothing I’ve ever seen. He’s waited for such a long time for you to come home, to come home and love him.” Becca hugs her old friend close. “Thank you. Jamie would be so happy for you both.”

When they finally pull away, she nods and Steve pulls Bucky to stand with him. He looks around at what will now be his clan and can’t help the tears. Bucky leans in, kissing his neck, just above the bonding mark. “When I was a kid, I didn’t hold out hope that I would ever find a mate. There weren’t that many wolves in New York and the ones that were there didn’t see me as good mate material, but I had Jamie and he believed in me more than anyone. I never came out and said it, but I think he knew that after my Ma died, I considered Jamie my clan. I’m pretty sure Ma Winnie knew and Becca suspected.” He looks over and she’s nodding. “Becca was my friend by extension and she probably doesn’t know this, but Jamie and I really liked having her tag along even when we acted like we didn’t.” He looks over again, winking and she giggles. Steve looks down and Bucky leans into him, asking what’s wrong through the bond. Looking back up, the family can see the tears filling his eyes. “When I came to run that night four months ago, I didn’t mean to invade your family, your clan. All I knew was that I needed to be out of my skin and back in my fur. When I looked up and saw that gorgeous buck standing in the fog, it was magical. Looking at Bucky is like looking at  my destiny . I swear to you, all of you, that I will love him with everything I am, for as long as I have with him. I swear to all of you that I’ll be honorable and never disrespect this family.” Steve turns to Bucky, speaking only to him. “Bucky, I’ll never do anything for you to doubt me. I’ll never do anything to hurt you. I promise I’ll always be with you.”

Everyone looks over at Becca and Steve prays that she does what he hopes. That she says the words that will take all doubt away from anyone that still has reservations. Bucky squeezes his hand and looks to his aunt. She shakes her head, then looks up at them. “Welcome to the family, Steve.”


	31. Well Before the Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 4 or the Wolf Steve and Deer Bucky story. If you haven't read chapters 28, 29, and 30, you should probably do that first. Steve decides to tell someone on the team.

Steve’s just returned from a mission and from everything that Bucky can gather, it didn’t go well. It wasn’t the mission that didn’t go well, that was a breeze, it was the flight home that was the issue. Tony wants to take Steve to a strip club that the billionaire swears is very upscale, whatever that means for a strip club. Tony swears that he’s going to break Steve out of his prudish early 20 th century attitudes.

Little does the man know. 

Natasha didn’t push exactly, but did agree that Steve needed to push his boundaries a little and encouraged the super soldier to go. Steve finally just laid down on one of the bunks and tried to sleep it off. It’s not that he’s angry about it, he just wishes he could figure out a way to tell them, so they would leave this all alone. 

To take his mind off of all of that, Bucky decides that he and Steve are having playground duty for the afternoon. There’s a small park that’s part of the complex where the clan buildings are and today, instead of one of the other adults, Bucky thinks that they need an outing. They carry a basket and a cooler between them and watch as the older kids run for slides and swings. The younger ones toddle along behind heading to the smaller toys. They set up under a tree where they can see all of them at the same time, Steve sits on the blanket and breathes a sigh of relief. He looks over at Bucky. “Thanks for this.” Nothing makes Steve breathe easier than being with the kids. The nice thing about this park is that no one else uses it, so if one of the little ones accidently starts to shift, they can stop them before it happens.

Bucky sits with his back against the tree and motions for Steve to scoot closer and lean against him. “Anything for you, beloved.”

Steve looks over his shoulder, kissing under Bucky’s chin. “Maybe later we can go run?”

“We can absolutely do that.” They have two weeks before the wedding and Steve still hasn’t figured out how to tell the team. As if on cue, his phone starts to ring. Pulling it out, he expects to see Nat or Tony’s name, but instead he sees Bruce’s.

“Dr. Banner?” Bucky takes Steve’s other hand and starts playing with his fingers, kissing the tips of each one, while he watches the kids playing.

“Steve, hey...hi, listen, I’m supposed to be calling you to either convince you that a strip club with Tony is a good idea, which I don’t think that it is. Or that you should really consider going out with one of the women that Natasha has picked out, but she’s never been as good at matchmaking as she thinks, so you might want to pass on that too.” 

The poor guy has obviously been roped into making this call when he’d rather be doing anything else. Like Steve, Bruce Banner is probably exhausted and just wants some down time. Steve sits up and half-turns to Bucky. “Bruce, instead of doing their dirty work, why don’t you join me today? I’m not doing anything that’s stressful, in fact, I’m as relaxed as I can be.” It takes very little convincing to get Bruce to agree to come to the park.

By the time he arrives, Bucky and Steve have the kids sitting under the tree, having a snack and drinking juice. Bruce stops, watching for a few minutes when Steve looks up, grinning. Bruce watches as Steve hands an orange slice to a little boy on his lap. “Steve?”

Steve chuckles when a little girl comes over to sit on his other leg. “Bruce, come have some fruit with us.”

Bucky comes over from the bathroom with a wet towel. “I can’t believe we forgot wet wipes.” He looks at Bruce. “Oh, Dr. Banner, how are you?”

Bruce looks up, really confused because he doesn’t know who this guy is, then back at Steve. “Bruce, this is Bucky, my fiancé. We’re getting married in a couple of weeks.”

Bruce sits in stunned silence for a few seconds, then breaks out into raucous laughter. Bucky watches, grinning while helping Abigail pour more juice in her cup. “I hope that’s good laughter.”

Steve looks over. “I hope so too.” He leans over, putting a hand on Bruce’s arm. “You okay, Bruce?”

The scientist wipes tears from his eyes. “Steve, if what you just told me is true and not some kind of joke, it’s going to make me very happy to watch Tony and Natasha when you tell them. They have been pushing you to get out there and you have...in a big way.”

“I’m trying to figure out how neither of them have noticed that I’ve moved out of the Tower. I literally don’t live there anymore.” Steve leans over, kissing Bucky. “Bruce, I’m not sure how to talk to them about this and I was hoping you could help me out.”

The kids finish their snack and head back to play. Bruce watches as Steve leans into Bucky chest against the tree and turns to sit cross-legged to watch the little ones play. He sees out of the corner of his eye the way that Bucky runs his fingers through Steve’s hair, how relaxed the super soldier is, how much love comes off of them in waves. “Steve, I think you should just tell them like you told me. Just say it and let the rest of the team deal. You have nothing to be ashamed of or anything you need to hide.”

Bucky leans over, kissing Steve’s cheek. “He’s a smart man, Steve, you should listen to him.” On the walk back to the main buildings, Bruce ends up with little Toby on his shoulders. At first, he tried to avoid contact, but when kids want attention, they get it. When they drop the kids off to their parents, Steve and Bucky take Bruce to their home. Bucky heads up the stairs after kissing Steve. “I’m going to leave this part to you, but please give him warning before you do anything drastic.”

Steve blushes and nods. “Yeah, I promise.” Bucky disappears up the stairs and Bruce watches Steve. The super soldier paces the living room. “Bruce, would you like some tea?”

Nodding, Bruce follows Steve into the kitchen. “Whatever it is, Steve, you can just say it.”

Steve gives an uncomfortable chuckle and sets the water to boil. “That’s easier said than done. I haven’t had to say this out loud for a very long time.” The water boils and Steve  pours it into the mugs to steep. They sit at the table and Steve rubs his hands together. “Okay, listen Bruce, what I’m going to share with you was left out of all of my records by people that had the ability to leave this kind of thing out.”

“You’re saying that things were left out of your medical file to hide something?” Steve nods. “Is this something that is harmful to you?”

“No, Bruce, nothing like that, but it’s something that a lot of people wouldn’t understand, can’t understand because it’s so far out of their understanding of the every day.” Bruce isn’t comprehending and Steve knows that’s because he’s being too vague and Steve doesn’t know how else to put it without just showing him, but Bucky is right and he needs to warn the doctor before. “Okay, Bruce, there are things in this world that most people don’t know about and even if they did, they’d try to use it to their advantage. Before the serum, I was one of those things. I want to trust you, to show you what I mean, but you have to promise that you aren’t going to...freak out. You have to promise that you’ll understand that no matter what you see, you’ll trust that it’s still me.” He looks up pleading. “Can you do that?”

Bruce chuckles and looks down at the table. “I don’t think that I ever told you how much it meant to me that you didn’t care about Hulk when we first met. You were more interested in my mind and how I could help us understand the cube.” Bruce reaches out, putting a hand on Steve’s arm. “Yeah, Steve, I can trust you.”

“I’m sorry, but I have to take my clothes off, so I don’t ruin another set.” Bruce tries not to watch by looking over at the mugs, adding honey to his. Steve clears his throat. “Remember, it’s still me.”

Bruce nods and Steve shifts into his wolf. Bruce takes a step back, but the giant, white wolf lowers his head and looks ashamed. Bruce kneels down, looking into the blue eyes. “Steve?” The wolf takes a step forward and when Bruce doesn’t back away, the wolf comes to him, laying his head on the doctor’s shoulder. “Holy shit, Steve, is this for real?”

The voice behind him startles him and Bruce turns to see Bucky standing at the bottom of the stairs. “It’s for real and there are more than just wolf shifters. I’m a deer.” Bruce shakes his head not understanding and Bucky strips his clothes and shifts into his deer after stepping into the living room. The wolf goes over, rubbing across the deer’s neck. Bruce watches how the  deer's eyes close, taking comfort and love from the wolf.

Bruce stares at them in wonder. “This is why you held yourself back, isn’t it?” Steve comes over, lowering his head again and Bruce reaches out, running his hands through the thick fur around the wolf’s neck. “How have you made it this long without a support system?” 


	32. Hold Me Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part of the Wolf Steve and Deer Bucky series. Steve tells the team.  
> If you haven't ready chapters 28, 29, 30, and 31, you should do that first.

“Are you sure about this?” Bucky trusts Steve’s judgement about this decision, but he doesn’t know the Avengers and doesn’t know how they will react. Steve has already decided that if they don’t accept this part of him, then he just won’t try to be their friend. He’ll still work with them, if they want, but he’ll keep his personal life away from them. Steve has also made Bucky promise that he won’t reveal anything about the himself or the family.

“I’m sure. They either accept me or they don’t.” He hugs Bucky close and goes to get his mate's jacket. “At least we know there’s one person that supports us and everything that means.”

Bucky puts the jacket on and turns in Steve’s embrace, kissing the blond lightly. “I wonder if it’s because Bruce has another side to himself? You know, having Hulk inside of him is like having a shifter.” They spend the ride to the Tower talking about that aspect of Bruce’s personality.

The ride up in the elevator is quiet and Bucky holds Steve’s hand, leaning into his mate and giving as much love and affection through the bond as he can. When the doors open, Bruce is there arguing with Tony. Apparently, the billionaire wants to go to his lab, but Bruce is insisting that he stay because Steve has something to tell them. “I don’t know what Cap has to tell us that so important that he couldn’t just send me a text. Oh yeah, he doesn’t know how to text.”

Before anyone else can say anything, Steve cuts into the conversation, gaining the teams attention. “Well, Tony, I thought the fact that I’m getting married next week would be something you’d want to know in person.”

Everyone freezes and looks over at the super soldier and the man holding their Captain’s hand. Bruce goes to them, giving a hug to each of them. He locks eyes with Steve and nods. Steve nods in return and then looks over at the rest of the team. Natasha gets up, giving both men the once over. “Let me get this straight, you’re getting married?” Steve nods and Natasha starts to laugh.

Tony comes over, slapping Steve on the shoulder. “That’s a good one, Cap, but seriously, what’s this all about.” He looks at Bucky. “Did you hire this guy to play out this prank, Cap?”

Steve holds up his left hand, showing off the ring. “This is about the fact that I’m getting married next week, I’ve been trying to find a way to tell all of you and Bruce said that I should just tell you straight out like I did with him last week.”

Tony looks over at Bruce, critically. “You’ve known this for a week and didn’t say anything? All that time in the lab together and you just left this piece of information out?”

Bruce doesn’t look the least bit embarrassed. “It isn’t my story to tell, so no, Tony, I didn’t tell you.”

Clint and Thor just sit back, drinking coffee and watching the floorshow. Natasha looks at Steve hurt. “Why didn’t you just tell me when I was trying to fix you up?” She keeps cutting her eyes to Bucky, but  he never wavers and meets her glances head on.

“Because you never listen to me, Romanov. I tried to tell you that I wasn’t interested, but you kept pushing.” Bucky leans into Steve’s side, and whispers for him to breathe. “Everyone, this is James Barnes, my fiancé.”

Bucky gives a half wave. “Hey, everyone calls me Bucky.”

Tony looks at the new guy over  the top of his glasses. “What kind of name is Bucky?”

“Says the guy that calls himself Iron Man with a suit that contains no iron.” The room stops for a few seconds then breaks into raucous laughter. Steve leans over, kissing Bucky’s temple.

“I love you so much right now.” Thor comes over, giving Bucky a once over and Steve waits to see what the God of Thunder will do.

Folding his large arms across his chest, Thor grins. “Well, I must say, Captain, he is quite pleasing to look at.”

Bucky rolls his eyes and Steve chuckles. “He is that, Thor.” Bucky is then swallowed in a hug by the huge god.

Tony starts waving his arms around. “Now just a damn minute!” Everyone looks over at him. “You’re getting married in a week, to a man?”

Clint pats Tony’s chest. “Stark, you’re going to have to catch up with the conversation.” He looks over at Steve. “So, gay, bi, pan...which is it?”

Bucky looks over at his mate and sniggers. “Yeah, Steve, which is it?”

Steve sighs and shakes his head. “You’re having way too much fun with this.” Bucky lays his head on Steve’s shoulder and the super soldier melts. Looking back at his team, he doesn’t know what to say. “I don’t know.” They start to balk at that, but he holds up the hand that isn’t holding Bucky’s. “Seriously, I never thought about it before I met Bucky. I saw him and everything just clicked into place for me. Does that make me gay? Maybe. I like to think of myself as Bucky-sexual.”

Bruce snorts at that and heads to the kitchen. “ I'm making fresh coffee and tea. Who wants what?”

They spend hours talking and when Tony finds out that Steve hasn’t lived in the Tower for over a month, he’s stunned. After accusing JARVIS of keeping important information from him, the IA comes back with his safety and privacy protocols. Steve and Bucky tell the team about the wedding and that it’s taking place at the property owned by the Barnes family. When Natasha asks if the team is invited, Steve and Bucky look at each other.

Clint seems confused and a little hurt and unlike the others, he doesn’t cover it. “Do you not want us there?”

Steve looks uncomfortable and Bucky leans in, kissing his cheek. “If you aren’t ready to do this, Steve, you don’t have to.”

Bruce comes over, putting a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Bucky’s right, you aren’t obligated to say anything else.” They told Bruce that if Steve told the team about himself, it would only be about himself and not the Barnes clan and Bucky.

“Why do I feel like there’s something going on here that’s bigger than Captain America getting married to a man?” Tony’s watching the interaction and knows a devastating secret when he sees one.

Steve stands up, pacing to the window and back. “First, I’m not Captain America, that’s a part that I play. Second, there is something else happening, but I have to know that I can trust all of you.” They look around at each other and then all eyes land on Steve again.

Bucky stands up and takes Steve’s hand again. “I don’t know all of you, not really, but when Steve tells you that he needs to be able to trust you, he’s not just saying that because he has a secret that could make people uncomfortable.” He looks up at his mate and Steve is flushed. “What he has to say could  potentially get him hurt or killed.”

Bruce goes to the two men, standing with them to face the team. Natasha and Tony look at each other and both realize that Bruce already knows what this secret is, he’s already been trusted. Tony walks over to the men, examining them closely. “Whatever this is, we stand as a team and we protect each other.” Steve discreetly sniffs the air for deception, but gets only truth. “Unless you’re really Hitler and then all bets are off.”

Steve snorts and Bucky looks at Tony wide-eyed. “Please don’t give me nightmares, man.”

There’s another look that passes between wolf and deer, but the nod from Bucky has Steve moving. he pulls his shirt over his head and goes to stand behind a table to hide his lower half. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, Cap...”

“Shut up, Tony and listen.” He removes his shoes and socks, but stops there. “There are things in this world that some of you can’t understand.” They watch him closely. “Things that if the general population knew, they would want to do what most people who live with closed minds would do, and that’s hunt it down and kill it.” Clint crosses his arms across his chest and lowers his head. Steve doesn’t miss the move and zeroes in on Clint. Giving another sniff, he can tell the man is afraid, he smells fear. “I was born one of these things and I had some really special friends that not only knew, but protected me. When I took the serum, it didn’t change that part of me, in fact, it enhanced that part too.”

“Cap, what are you trying to say?” Natasha starts to move closer, but Clint holds her back. Bucky sees it too and looks over at Steve. Steve nods in understanding. Clint understands what’s about to happen and both shifters know it. 

Steve removes the rest of his clothes behind the table and shifts. Natasha goes for her gun and Tony calls his suit, but Bruce jumps between them and Bucky runs to his wolf. “Everybody stop!”

Clint looks mesmerized and Thor looks thrilled. Tony and Natasha back up. “What the fuck is this?”

Bucky stands next to his mate with fury in his eyes. “This is Steve. Steve’s a shifter and his shifted form is a wolf. He didn’t used to be this big until he was given the serum.” Bucky glares at them. “And for your information, he’s about as harmful as a puppy.” The wolf looks at his deer and frowns. Bucky snorts. “Oh, come on, Steve, I’ve seen you with the kids. You were like a bouncy golden retriever puppy with them.”

Bruce chuckles. “He’s got you there, Steve. I saw it too, last week, and it was pretty adorable.”

Thor has had all he can stand and runs across the common room to tackle the unsuspecting wolf, who yelps, but lets the god hug him. Thor tries to pick him up and hold him over his head, but Steve’s wolf is really big and heavy. “My friend! You are wonderful! You remind me of my nephew, not as big as Fenrir, but still quite large.” Steve just gives up and lets Thor manhandle him into a hug.

“Wait! You have a nephew that’s a wolf? What the hell goes on  on that planet of yours?” Clint comes over, patting Tony’s shoulder and going over to the wolf. 

Thor places their Captain back on the floor and Clint runs his hands down the wolf’s back. “You’re amazing.”

Steve and Bucky stay at the Tower that night because talking and playing with the wolf goes on until late into the night. Tony tries to get Steve to play fetch, but the wolf just lays down and glares at the billionaire. Natasha, after getting many of her questions answered, and Thor use him as a pillow while having an in-depth conversation about the advantages of being able to shift in battle. Clint sits with Bucky talking about how the brunet found out about Steve and how his family is taking it. 

Bruce calls out for food and when it shows up, Steve tries to go and shift back into his human form, but no one wants that to happen. He finally sits down by the window and pouts until they agree to let him shift back so he can eat. Not that he can’t without their blessing, but it’s kind of fun for him to have them paying attention to him as not just their leader. It took him showing them this part of himself to get them to see past the Captain America image.

The evening ends when the team finds Steve and Bucky in the kitchen, cleaning up from dinner, making out like teenagers. Steve carries Bucky back to his floor, stripping him slowly and showing him how happy all of this makes him.

Steve finds Clint alone in the kitchen the next morning. He quietly pours a cup of coffee and sits with the archer at the table. For long minutes, there is silence, then Steve looks up, meeting Clint’s eyes. “So, what type of shifter are you?”

Clint doesn’t try to hide it; he just clears his throat before saying it. “ Like the name, I’m a hawk.”


	33. 'Cause I Love, Love You So

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it! This is the last of this series. If you haven't read chapters 28-32, you need to do that first, otherwise none of this fluff will make any sense.   
> Steve and Bucky get married and really piss off Fox News.
> 
> Also, I don't know who might care, but the titles to all of the chapters in this series are lyrics to the same song.

Their wedding day dawns bright and sunny. Bucky looks out the window and the sky is the same color as Steve’s eyes. Arms slip around him from behind and Bucky leans back into the support, the love, the devotion of his mate and soon to be husband. The family fussed about them staying together the night before the wedding, but there was just no way that the two men were going to be apart. Now that they have each other, being apart is more than their bond can handle. Steve leaving on missions is almost too much, but those they can deal with because it’s his job. Sleeping apart because someone thought that tradition should  supersede need, is not a good enough reason.

“What are you thinking about?” Steve mumbles the words into Bucky’s neck causing a shiver in his mate.

“I was thinking that your eyes are the color of the sky and that I’m glad we didn’t sleep apart last night.” Steve chuckles and Bucky turns in his arms.

“I thought Becca was going to have a stroke when we left together.” Bucky’s arms slip around Steve’s neck and the kiss they share grows heated quickly. Steve pulls back, resting his forehead against Bucky’s. “I love you so, but we need to stop or this will turn into something it shouldn’t with everything we have today. Also, I did something for you, so come on.” He tangles their fingers together and pulls Bucky down the hall and into the bigger bathroom. 

The lights are off, but candles light the room, the tub is filled with bubbles, soft music is playing and across the tub is a tray with what looks, to Bucky, like a mimosa and pastries. Turning to Steve, he grins. “You did this for me?”

Steve starts to help Bucky out of his clothes. “I’d do anything for you.” Bucky spends over an hour lounging in the tub, feeling pampered and loved. He can feel the emotions coming through the bond and nothing he feels from Steve says wedding day jitters. There’s a calmness in the super soldier that feeds Bucky’s own content.

While Bucky basks in the luxury of his bath, Steve makes sure that they are packed for their week away. The team, mainly Tony, has given them a honeymoon that Steve didn’t even know he wanted until it was offered. It seems that Tony owns an island because of course he does, and once the staff stocks it, they leave and it will be no one except Steve and Bucky. The idea that they will be able to run around naked for a week, it’s been the driving force to get them through the last-minute chaos. 

Steve puts everything into the car and goes back in to do one more check that they have everything. When Bucky finishes his bath and throws on comfy clothes for the ride to the property, Steve takes a shower, trimming his beard, then they head out. All the way out of the city, Steve never releases Bucky’s hand. His deer is warm and serene and more than anything, Steve wants him to stay that way all day. For some reason, on this day, that’s so significant, Bucky gives off that unearthly glow that Steve remembers from those months ago when he first saw that magnificent creature standing in the fog.

Once there, they are forced to separate into two different tents where their suits are waiting and family members are there to help each of them. Becca comes into Steve’s tent, giving him a hug. “Are you sure we can trust them?” Steve can hear Tony making his rounds outside the tent, greeting family members as only Tony Stark can.

“I know you can. I trust them with my life, but more than that, I trust them with Bucky’s.” She nods and pats his cheek. It’s such a motherly thing to do and Steve misses his Ma something fierce in that moment. He wishes that she could see that he did okay. His heart aches with his desire to have her here with Jamie, the Commandos, Ma Winnie, Peg, Howard, he misses them so much in that second.

The tent flap opens and Bucky comes in, throwing himself into Steve’s arms. Holding on like he’ll never let go, Steve sniffles. “My beloved, why? What’s all this about?”

The flap opens again and the team steps into the tent, seeing the tears on Steve’s face. He smiles through all of the emotions, and cups his fiancé's face, staring into eyes that see more than they say and a heart that loves more than most would understand. “I’m being sentimental is all. I was thinking how much I wish my Ma, Jamie, and a few others could be here today. I’m so damn happy, Buck and I want to share that with everyone that I loved.”

Bucky reaches up, caressing a finger down Steve’s cheek, following the path of a single teardrop. “My beautiful light, they know and as long as you remember them, they will always be here. I didn’t know my father, but through you he’s taken on a life that he never had before.”

The team comes over and now that they’ve seen the real Steve, not the icon, they understand that he’s human in ways that they didn’t allow themselves to see. They surround the couple in a group hug, lending the family support they know is needed. Thor looks at his Captain, smiling softly. “Your love is correct, Steven. Those that mean the most to us, never leave, not in actuality. They live because we do.”

Tony’s wiping his eyes and pulls away. “Okay, okay, enough with the sappy stuff. Let’s get these two hitched, so they can do the nasty all over my island.” The laughter is loud, obnoxious even, but needed to make Steve feel the loses less.

As the team leaves the tent, Clint lingers by the flap. He doesn’t really look at the couple, just stares out at the vast forest surrounding them. “This might be a nice place to fly.” He turns and winks at the pair.

The ceremony is short and sweet. Steve cries when Bucky promises to be his guiding light in everything Steve chooses to do. Bucky cries when Steve promises his life and heart in service to his love for Bucky. Everyone cries when they are pronounced husbands. Music and food follow and the Avengers mingle with the Barnes Clan to get a feel for the other people that Steve calls family. The family doesn’t treat the team any differently than they would anyone else, but they are guarded. Steve sees the way they hold themselves back and can tell that it’s most apparent with Tony and Natasha.

He can understand the family’s fear because this will be asking a lot from the team, but the way they accepted his wolf tells Steve that they are good people. They can be intrusive and abrasive, but in their hearts are good and letting them into this part of Steve’s life will show his team how much they mean to him. The discussion with Becca had been long and arduous, but after letting the family vote on it, the decision what made. Tonight, the Avengers will be welcomed into the Barnes Clan through a show of trust.

As the moon rises in the night sky the clearing where the reception is being held gets eerily quiet. Steve looks up at the sky, stars twinkle and the moon high. It’s a full moon tonight and he knows that Becca chose it specifically for him. The itch under his skin becomes almost unbearable and Bucky takes his hand. “Are you ready?”

Steve nods, looking at their joined hands. “Are you?”

Bucky chuckles. “I trust you and I trust them. I’m ready.”

Steve goes to the center of the dance floor and raises his glass. Everyone gives him their attention and Bucky  joins him, interlacing their fingers. “I want to first thank everyone for being here today. Second, I want to thank both of my families for giving me a place to call home.” He looks at Becca, then over at Tony. “Everyone here knows that, for me, being accepted meant accepting some pretty strange things.” Everyone chuckles and Bucky leans into his side. “But, there’s more to this night than just dancing and eating. Tonight, is about the run too.” The Avengers look around at the teary eyes of the Barnes family and are confused by what they’re hearing and seeing. The Barnes Clan is starting to  fidget , like they can’t hold still. “Tonight, we run because as the newest member of the Barnes Clan, I have to lead this one, with my mate at my side.”

Steve hears the team quietly asking what their Captain is talking about. He hears Tony ask Clint if he really just heard Cap refer to his husband as a mate and if that’s a wolf thing. Clint just smiles warmly at Steve and Bucky. That’s when Bucky takes over. “Tonight, we aren’t just following Steve on this run, tonight we’re inviting Steve’s other family, his team, to keep a family secret that we never thought we would offer to outsiders.” He looks at the team, hopeful. “Tonight, the Avengers stop being outsiders and join us, if they wish, to run and be with family.” The biggest smiles are on Bruce and Thor’s faces, Clint just looks relieved and excited. Bucky knows that Tony and Natasha are the wild cards in this.

The team is stunned as everyone starts to remove their clothes. Steve looks up, grinning. “Don’t worry, you guys don’t have to undress, but the rest of us do.” As clothes hit the ground, where people were standing before, there are now deer. Thor shouts with glee and Clint goes over to Steve, who is now standing next to his husband and mate in his deer form. Steve looks at the team. “We’re inviting you in and trusting you with everything that we are.”

“I’m going to join you.” Steve pats Clint’s shoulder, grinning, shifts into his wolf, throwing his head back to howl at the moon. Clint looks back at the team, unsure. “I’m sorry. It’s been a secret so long, it wasn’t something I could talk about, not to any of you.” Clint disappears, his clothes hit the ground and Natasha runs over, freaking out that her friend just vanished. Pulling the shirt aside, a hawk flaps his way out, hopping away from the clothes.

“Holy shit! Clint?” Natasha isn’t surprised very often, but this definitely does it. The hawk squawks at her and flies up to land on one of the antlers on a buck's head. The buck shakes his antlers back and forth, but the hawk holds his position. The clearing is filled now with hundreds of deer, heads turned, all watching the wolf. Waiting.

Steve bounds over to the team, jumping and yipping at them. “I believe our good Captain would like for us to join this run  he spoke of. And I, for one, wish to be part of this clan.” 

Bruce steps away, remembering the conversation that he had with the couple a few days after they revealed Steve’s secret to the team. He wonders if maybe this is what his serum did to him, it made him into something he wasn’t before. Stepping over to the deer, Bucky rubs his side against Bruce. “Are you sure?” The deer nods its head and the hawk flutters over to Bruce’s shoulder. “If I hurt anyone...” The hawk squawks at that.

Natasha looks at Bruce. “What are you going to do?” Bruce blushes and takes his glasses off. Putting them in his shirt pocket and starting to unbutton. Natasha steps over, putting her hands on  his , to stop his movement. “You don’t know what could happen.”

Bruce smiles. “That’s part of the problem isn’t it?” She shakes her head, not understanding. “I’ve fought him so long and never given him a chance to prove that he isn’t just my anger.”

Before anyone else can jump into the conversation, Bruce’s shirt is on the ground and he’s shifted into Hulk.  Clint flies over, landing on Hulk’s shoulder. The big, green guy, grins, but as always, it looks more like a grimace. Steve steps over, tentatively, and Hulk sits on the ground, holding out his hand, palm up. Steve sits his head in Hulk’s hand and the big guy reaches over with his other, stroking gently between the wolf’s ears. 

Tony watches, intrigued. “I’ll be damned.”

Hulk looks over, grinning again. “Hulk like dog.”

The family of deer, who backed away when Bruce changed, come forward, surrounding Hulk. He holds out his hands and the deer sniff him. Whatever they smell sets them at ease and Hulk stands again. Steve bounds over to his deer mate and rubs along Bucky’s neck, then steps back, lifting his head to the sky and howls like never before. He has family, he has a mate, he has home. He sets off into the forest and the family follows. Bucky hangs back, giving the team time to figure out what they’re going to do. 

Tony looks at Nat and Thor. “Wait! Cap’s husband is a buck named Bucky and we aren’t going to address that?” 

Natasha snorts at that and goes over to Hulk. “Hey, big guy, care to give a lady a lift?” Hulk grins and picks her up, heading after the herd. Bucky looks over at Tony, head held high in challenge.

“Well, okay, I guess we’re running.” Thor takes off using the hammer and Tony glares at the mate and husband of his friend. “I don’t run, so you’ll have to deal, Bambi.” He touches the  bracelets on his wrists and shifts into Iron Man. The deer snorts and heads after his mate.

Steve finds the tunnel of trees, the spot where this all started. He talked to Becca about this, so the clan knows his plan. She encouraged what he wanted to do because it connects their mating, their wedding, their unique bond to the family dynamic. It allows everyone to see the magic that brought them together in the first place.

Steve leads the family back to the place that it all started. There isn’t fog tonight, but there is a bright, full moon. The tunnel of trees still holds that mystical gateway feel and Steve stops at the center, looking around at his new family. Some step lightly through the trees, looking up at the canopy hanging over them. Their quiet steps retreat into the trees. The Avengers stand with the wolf, only for a few minutes until the wolf’s deer joins him, then they move to the edge of the tunnel with the rest of the family. Hulk sits Natasha down and the hawk lands on his head, watching with the rest of them.

Bucky’s quiet steps cause Steve to turn, watching his beautiful mate. They’re lit by the light of the moon through the bent and warped branches. The others line the trees, watching as deer and wolf stare at each other. Taking a tentative step towards the deer, the wolf watches the majestic beast that is his husband do the same. They find each other in the middle, the wolf rubs against the deer’s neck.

There will never be a moment more magical than the night he met his Bucky. Except maybe for this night, when his Bucky became his husband and not just his mate. The light from the moon and the acceptance shining from the eyes of all those watching will live as part of their bonding and marriage. The wolf shifts back into his human form and the glint from the ring on his finger is caught in the shine of the moonlight. The deer shifts and Steve pulls his husband into his arms, kissing him deeply and with such intensity that the eyes of the onlookers, cast down to give them privacy in this moment.

“You are my light, the light that lives in me and shines on me. You are what soothes the ache that I carried in me. You are the everything that I never believed I would find in this life or any other. That you have granted me your life in mating and marriage is a miracle. My love is yours for all the days of my life.” Bucky sniffles at Steve’s words.

He’s not even aware that there are others watching. Bucky’s whole existence is narrowed to just Steve. “I didn’t know how badly I ached until you ran with me that night. You filled cracks in me that I didn’t know I had. I gave myself to you that night and tonight everything I will become is yours too. Your love fills me and casts all those shadows I had into the light. I am yours for all the days we have.”

They share one more kiss before shifting back. Steve howls his joy and the deer paws at the ground. Hulk picks Natasha up again and the run continues. Clint doesn’t leave Hulk’s head, just spreads his wings and enjoys the ride. 

The fallout from the marriage of Captain America happens while the couple is away on their honeymoon. When a minor mission comes up two days after the wedding, Iron Man talks to the press after. When he’s asked where Cap is, Tony grins at the camera. “Cap is away on his honeymoon.” It was decided before they left that Steve didn’t want anything about getting married to be a secret, so if asked, they were to tell the truth. 

Questions are fired at the team so quickly that they can’t even understand most of them. Natasha steps up next to Tony and he nods at her to take the most screamed question, which is who Captain America married. “Well first of all, Captain America didn’t marry anyone, Steve Rogers did and his husband’s name is James Barnes.” There’s a split second of complete silence and then press screaming questions, some of them really rude. 

Tony steps back up to the microphone. “For anyone,” he lowers his glasses, glaring at the press and into the cameras, “anyone that has an issue with Steve marrying a man can bet they aren’t going to be welcome anywhere near the Avengers or Stark Tower.” The interview ends there and the team leaves a screaming press.

The Avengers social media accounts are flooded with comments and it’s decided, by the whole team, that they will release a photo from the wedding. They pick one that includes Steve, Bucky, and the whole team. Everyone is grinning at the camera. Once the photo is out there, social media and the press blows up again with more and more questions. Tony sends one text to Steve because he doesn’t want to interrupt the honeymoon, but also doesn’t want them to come back to a shit show they know nothing about.

_ ‘Fox News thinks you’re a disgrace to the shield. We released the photo.’ _

Steve does respond. _ ‘If I cared about Fox News I’d be bothered, but  _ _ fuck’em _ _.’ _

When the couple does return, they are followed from the Tower back to the Barnes Clan’s complex of homes. Pictures are taken and released on social media. More rude comments are tagged with each one. Fox News challenges Captain America to defend himself. Steve and Bucky sit down and compose a response that they release. 

_ ‘The fact that anyone thinks I have to defend anything I do in my personal life is ridiculous. They only want my defense, so they can tear it apart and because they are so uneasy in their own lives that they can’t understand just being happy. My personal life is just that, personal and I have no need for approval from anyone that thinks they can judge what another person does. Maybe if they spent more time examining their own issues and stopped looking at others, this society would be a better place. _

_ But everyone reading this knows, whether you’re supportive or not, that the next time aliens attack, you’re sure as fuck going to be calling on me to protect you. Good thing I don’t hold a grudge.’ _

The Avengers release their own afterwards.

_ ‘Well said Oh Captain, my Captain.’ _

A few days after returning, the Avengers join the couple for dinner. Bucky’s home has never been filled with such love and acceptance from people that he never thought he’d meet, much less call family. Tony comes into the kitchen to get a refill on his drink and leans against the counter next to the stove where Steve is cooking. “So, did you run around naked for a week like you planned?”

Steve looks over and Tony winks. The snort that comes out of the super soldier is very undignified. “We did.” He smirks. “Best week of my life.”

Over dinner they talk about how to deal with the press that have started stalking the couple and show up where other family members are. Nothing has happened and the press does seem to be keeping their distance, but ground rules are going to have to be set. The team leaves and Steve cleans up from dinner. He turns when Bucky clears his throat where he’s leaning against the kitchen door. “You think maybe you could clean that tomorrow?”

Steve is face to face with his very beautiful, very naked husband. Drying his hands, he leers. “Oh, I think I can definitely be convinced.”

Bucky bites his bottom lip and winks. “Catch me if you can.” And runs for the stairs.

Steve feels his inner wolf howl at the challenge and takes off up the stairs. He catches Bucky on the second landing, hoists him over his shoulder and carries him the rest of the way into the bedroom. “You know I’m always going to catch you.”

Bucky grins up at his husband. “I’m counting on it.”


	34. Lost in Translation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Bucky leave the fighting life behind and fill their life with fluff.
> 
> These are the things I've been working on for my friend that I didn't post because I didn't want to break up the chapters of the wolf/deer story.

It started with an email.

_ Dear Sam, _

_ I think part of what you read here won’t surprise you very much. You asked me once what made me happy and I couldn’t tell you. We both know that the reason I couldn’t tell you is because the thing that made me happy, at the time, I believed to be gone. Sam, when he came back to me two years ago, it’s like I could breathe again. _

_ Before you roll your eyes at that, just remember, I never claimed I wasn’t a hopeless romantic. Especially with him. Always with him. We found our way back to each other and through that miracle, we want to live the life that we didn’t get way back when. _

_ I’m leaving Sam, we’re leaving. _

_ It’s not goodbye, but it is a don’t look for us. We deserve this and it’s about damned time that we have what we always wanted. Don’t look. I know you can’t stop Natasha or Tony or Fury, but don’t be part of that. I need to be able to just love him and let him love me. We need a place where the only expectations are the  _ _ ones _ _ we put on ourselves.  _

_ I never wanted to be Captain America. I just wanted to follow him into the war and watch his back. He’s everything good and decent about me. They say that soul mates don’t exist. They never met us. _

_ Take care, _

_ Steve _

  


Bucky makes his way down the little stone path into the trees that surround their little ranch. He’s been gone for two weeks and in that time hasn’t spoken to Steve once. It’s for their own safety, so he’s really hoping that the new horse is doing okay. They started taking in rescues and Nala will be the third rescue horse they’ve taken in. They’ve had more dogs and cats and rabbits come through than Bucky’s ever seen in one place, but luckily, once they are up and socialized, they find homes for all of them. Except the white cat that doesn’t want to be anywhere, but where Bucky is and the dog that Steve just can’t let go of.

As he makes his way into the trees, he starts to breathe easier. It took a little more time to get away from the team this time. Natasha and Tony are both still trying to find them, even after a year and a half of being gone. Walking away was easy, but leaving the team without their extra hands wasn’t. That’s how they decided to start showing up when the threat was big. Sometimes Bucky goes, sometimes it’s Steve, but now that Sam is carrying the shield, Steve going is less and less.

As he breaks the tree line, Bucky freezes because Steve’s in the paddock with the Nala, running her with a bridle. It’s not the horse that has Bucky frozen in place, but his husband. Steve is without a shirt, ball cap on his head, tight jeans and boots. He’s sweating and glistening in the sun and Bucky  _ wants _ so much. He just stands, watching Steve work the horse and talking to her in a gentle voice.

“That’s my girl. See, you needed some exercise.” He tugs the rope and Nala comes over to him. Steve hugs her around the neck and she nuzzles into his shoulder. 

Bucky takes a deep breath and watches how her dark brown coat contrasts against his pale skin. Pulling the cap from his head, Steve wipes the sweat from his brow. Bucky loves this man so much that he physically aches with it. Making his way, as quietly as possible, to the fence, he smiles at how gentle Steve is with the rescues. “A man could get jealous with the way  you're hugging her.”

Steve’s eyes fly to the fence. The smile that graces his face is full of love and tenderness for the ex-assassin. Patting Nala one more time, he comes to the fence, standing on the bottom rung and leaning down for a kiss. Bucky goes up on his tiptoes to return the gesture. “Nothing could mean more to me than you do.” Jumping over the fence, he wraps Bucky in his arms. “I missed you.”

Bucky waggles his eyebrows. “Miss me enough to come get cleaned up with me?”

Steve chuckles, low and throaty. “Always. Let me get the bridle off her and we’ll go scrub each other’s backs.” 

  


Bucky starts the shower and begins the long process to undo his tac gear, but Steve steps into the bathroom and pulls his hands away, doing it himself. “A guy could get the idea that you like him.”

“I hope so.” Steve laughs and gets Bucky out of the gear, leaving it on the floor for later. As the blue jacket hits the floor, Steve starts kissing along Bucky’s shoulder. “I love you.”

Getting under the hot water, Bucky pulls Steve along with him. “I love you too.” Steve washes Bucky twice, cutting through the two weeks’ worth of dirt and grime. “Sam’s doing really well. You’d be proud.”

“Buck, you’ve been gone for two weeks, I don’t really want to talk about Sam right now.” He gets a  chuckle.

“Oh yeah, what do you want to talk about?” Bucky turns in Steve’s arms, pulling them chest to chest.

“Truth is, I don’t want to talk at all, gorgeous.” Bucky raises his eyebrows at that because Steve is always romantic, but usually doesn’t pull out the endearments. 

So, Steve gives them what they both need when he slips to his knees and takes Bucky into his mouth. Bucky’s metal hand goes out to grab at the wall and brace himself for the onslaught of feelings that consume him.

The sun is setting when they make it to the bed and Bucky covers Steve’s body with his own. He watches his husband’s face and wonders how he got this lucky. Loving the same person for so many decades fills Bucky with wonder and a desire to never, ever let this go. They fought so hard for each other and will continue to do so no matter what the circumstances. 

As they lay in each other’s arms much, much later, when two weeks’ worth of separation have had their fill, Bucky runs his hand along Steve’s back, feeling the muscles jump and push into the caress. “Everyone is doing really well.”

Steve looks up, smiling. “Yeah?”

“Don’t get me wrong, Tony and Natasha are still upset because they think you abandoned them.” Steve’s face falls. “But Sam made them understand that as long as you are there, you’ll always run into a fight.”

Steve lays his head back down, pillowed on Bucky’s chest. “I’ll still run into a fight, but now I don’t have to.”

“Baby, I think they get that, they just wish you felt like you could have told them.” Steve just hums, but doesn’t say anything. Bucky knows that leaving was Steve’s idea, but sometimes his husband has to come to terms with it all over again. They fall asleep like that and don’t move the whole night. As Bucky drifts off, he thinks that this is the life he wanted to give Steve so long ago and now, here they are.

  


Bucky wakes the next morning and Steve isn’t there. Checking the time, he figures the blond is probably feeding the animals, but when the bedroom door opens and his very beautiful, very naked, husband comes into the room, carrying a tray, he sits up grinning. “That’s a sight, right there.”

Steve turns in a circle. “You like my outfit. I put it on just for you.”

Bucky cackles in the blankets and sits the pillows up, so they can both relax in bed. “I take it the animals are going to have to wait for their breakfast.”

Steve piles up next to him, handing the coffee over. “I fed them already. Just slipped my boots on and went out and took care of them.”

Bucky freezes, mid-drink. “You went out, in the buff, and fed the animals and I missed it?”

“Who’s going to see and you needed the sleep.” They feed each other pieces of bacon and muffins with kisses in between. “I think you should email Sam.”

Steve looks over and because he can’t help it and because he can, he leans in, kissing Bucky deeply. “I’ll do that this afternoon.” The tray is moved to the end of the bed and Steve snuggles down in Bucky’s embrace. “Buck, can we make an agreement that we don’t go anywhere, but town, for the next few months.”

Bucky kisses the top of Steve’s head and pulls him closer. “You miss me that much, beautiful?”

“You have no idea. Having Nala to keep me occupied was good, but it’s just not the same when you aren’t here.” They don’t move from the bed until nearly noon. The talking is quiet and the kisses are comfortable and it’s everything the two of them need.

A few days later the honking of an old truck horn brings both men out of the barn. Ilene parks to the side of the house and gets out in her usual attire of jeans, flannel, and boots. Her graying hair braided down her back and a smile a mile wide greets the two soldiers. “Well, it’s about damn time you got home. This one,” she points at Steve, “was looking a little forlorn without you here.” Bucky looks over at his blushing husband. “How did the mission go?”

They’ve never told anyone who they are, but the little town that holds all the charm that either man could want knows who they have living amongst them. No one says anything, except Ilene. “It went and then so did I because he wasn’t the only one feeling forlorn.”

She cackles at that and slaps Bucky on the arm. “It’s good to be home, huh?”

“You can say that again.” She pulls out her phone and brings something up on the screen. Steve looks over her shoulder. 

“Buck, looks at him.” Bucky looks at the screen and knows that his husband is going to want this one and probably to keep. 

Ilene grins because she knew bringing this to them would make sure this horse got the care he needs. “He’s a Belgian Draft.” She looks at the two men. “He’s not been treated right and needs a place to call home.” She steps away, looking at Nala, who is standing at the fence begging for Steve’s attention. “She’s looking really good, Steve.”

They go to the fence and Nala nuzzles into Steve’s neck. “She’s a good girl and getting used to the bridle.” Bucky watches how Steve cares about the horse. “When will he be here?”

Ilene reaches up, petting down Nala’s forehead and nose. “He’ll be in town this afternoon and I can have them bring him straight out here, if that’s okay.”

“You check him over already?” Bucky wonders about this giant of a horse and how he’ll be with the others.

“I did and it was touch and go for a little while. Steph just can’t handle a horse this big and I thought,” She shrugs. “well, I mean you two aren’t normal, so I thought you could take him on.”

Bucky looks over at Steve and is getting the puppy eyes. He doesn’t even try to fight it. “Bring him out.” Steve’s eyes light up and he picks Bucky up, swinging him around. 

Two weeks later, Mac is settling in and Steve is watching him move around the pasture like a king surveying his kingdom. Bucky comes up behind him, wrapping his arms around Steve’s waist. “How’s he doing?”

“He let me brush him down completely today. I think he’s going to be okay.” They just stand in the afternoon sun, looking around their little slice of heaven. “Buck?”

“Yeah, Baby?” Steve sinks even further into the embrace and Bucky holds him up.

“I love you.” Humming the brunet kisses his husband’s neck.

“I love you too.”

  



	35. Why Don't We Just Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Bucky dance. Yeah, that's really it, that's the whole story.

Bucky has no idea how it’s possible to have over 300 channels on the damn TV and still have nothing on worth watching. It’s all bad news, all the time, 24/7 and he’s had enough of that shit. Steve comes in, after his shower because he reeks when he finishes training, and flops down on the sofa next to Bucky. He’s far enough away that he’s not touching the ex-assassin, which is just a shame, but close enough that Bucky can smell his shower gel and boy, that is nice. It also makes Bucky want things that he shouldn’t want. Sue him, he’s a closet romantic.

Steve stares at the TV for a few minutes, then looks over at Bucky, who shrugs. Taking the remote from his best friend, Steve turns the TV off and gets up. He goes to the old record player that they found in a secondhand shop and pulls out one of their old albums. Putting music on, he starts moving furniture out of the way. They haven’t done this since before the shit show that’s been their lives, but Bucky can definitely get behind this plan.

He’s not sure why, but everyone is convinced that Steve can’t dance, but that is not the truth. Even before, when he had asthma, a curved spine, and a heart that could give out at any time, Steve could move to music. Sometimes it wasn’t as graceful as  others because of his many, many ailments, but he still knew the steps and could feel the beat. There were times when he would be dancing with some dame in a club and Bucky would just sit off to the side and watch him, smiling. Even way back then, Bucky loved the blond like nothing else. He still does. He just doesn’t say anything because if he didn’t back then, he shouldn’t now.

They shove the sofa out of the way and Steve offers his hand and pulls Bucky into his chest. The music is upbeat and Steve starts to move and Bucky recognizes the jitter bug. They don’t do the lifts because that could just be dangerous with how big they both are now, but the moves are enough to have them both laughing. Steve rolls Bucky away from his body and then pulls him back in, wrapping Bucky up tight and secure. “I love watching you have fun.”

Bucky looks just slightly up into Steve’s eyes, eyes that are smiling and full of...whoa. “Steve?”

“Don’t know how else to say it, but you’re it for me, Buck.” Another song starts and this one is slow and easy, like their friendship. “Been  wantin ta tell  ya for almost a century.”

Bucky stops dancing and pulls away from Steve. The blonde’s eyes fall to the floor and his face crumbles. “Why now? Why tell me now?”

“Cause, you look so happy and I guess I  kinda hoped I had somethin to do with that.” Bucky steps back into Steve’s space, taking the blonde’s arms and wrapping them back around his waist.

“You have everything to do with that.” They start swaying to the music and Bucky doesn’t stop smiling. “Now, kiss me you punk.”

Later, they will dance all the way down the hallway and into Steve’s bedroom. Tomorrow they will dance in the kitchen while fixing breakfast. Tomorrow night, they will dance in the communal kitchen while the rest of the teams looks on grinning. A few months from now, Steve will pull Bucky onto a dance floor, in one of Stark’s many ballrooms, and dance with his new husband. They will dance the night away and fall into each other’s arms near dawn. The next morning, they will dance around the kitchen, snacking on wedding cake while the coffee brews. There will never be a time that they don’t dance together, always together.


End file.
